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Funkadelic Bassist Billy Bass Nelson Passes at 75

2/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Billy Bass Nelson, the first bassist for Funkadelic, died on Saturday at age 75.
The death was announced on the Facebook page for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, with no location or cause provided.
Nelson had been in hospice care.
He helped shape Parliament-Funkadelic’s fusion of R&B, funk, and acid rock in the late 1960s and ’70s.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

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Story summary

Billy Bass Nelson, the first bassist for Funkadelic, died on Saturday at age 75.
The death was announced on the Facebook page for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, with no location or cause provided.
Nelson had been in hospice care.
He helped shape Parliament-Funkadelic’s fusion of R&B, funk, and acid rock in the late 1960s and ’70s.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.