Artist Roster

- Select an artist - Al McKay / The Earth, Wind & Fire Experience Bernie Worrell & Leo Nocentelli Bernie Worrell Bootsy Collins C.O.E.D. Chic featuring Nile Rodgers Dan Moretti Dawn Silva Elisa Fiorillo Norma Jean Wright & Luci Martin Fred Wesley Gwen Dickey (formerly of Rose Royce) Jimmy Z & the ZTribe Jill Jones Jody Watley Larry Graham & Graham Central Station Kid Creole & the Coconuts Light of the World Los Amigos Invisibles Lowrider Band Marva King Mudbone RAD Ray Parker Jr. Sheila E. S.O.S. Band St. Paul Peterson / The Family United We Funk All-Stars Vonda Shepard

Bootsy Collins

Official Website :	www.bootsycollins.com
MySpace:	www.myspace.com/bootzillaproduction

 

 

Territory of Representation

Non-exclusive representation in Europe, Africa , Asia & Australia

Biography

Bootsy was born William Collins on October 26, 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio. When he was a child his mother gave him the nickname "Bootsy" because she thought he looked like a Bootsy…
He started playing guitar at 8, because his elder brother, Phelps "Catfish" Collins played guitar. Four years later Bootsy bought his first guitar. By 14, Bootsy was playing his first gigs, starting with teen talent shows and gospel groups. Back then, Bootsy was switching between bass and guitar, as was his brother; but as soon as Bootsy and Catfish started playing together they decided Catfish would play the guitar and Bootsy the bass. As their new lifestyle didn't fit with high school, Bootsy convinced his mother he should drop out in the 10th grade.
Things began happening in the mid-60's, when Cincinnati was a hotbed of R&B. James Brown, cranking out hits at King Records, led the roster of artists. As the Pacesetters, first with drummer Will Jackson and then with Frankie "Kash" Waddy, the brothers became the hot young group in town. One night at a club, a man from King invited them to the Evanston studio. The group became King's rhythm section for the next year-and-a-half, playing dozens of sessions, from R&B to country, first backing Hank Ballard ("The Twist"), then singer Marva Whitney. Both acts were part of James Brown Productions. Then, one night, the Pacesetters got a call: James Brown wanted them to play with him, that same night! Figuring his opening act had cancelled, the band headed to the airport, and Brown's private Lear jet. When they got to the auditorium, they found out that Mr. Brown's band "The Famous Flames" had quit and, with no rehearsals, the Pacesetters were to replace them. They passed the audition, were renamed the JB’s, and at 17 Bootsy was touring the world with one of soul music's biggest stars.

However, it was 1969 and new bands were up front singing and dressing crazy and Bootsy also wanted to look wild, freaky and crazy and have fun. But James Brown didn't want them to have fun: the JB’s had to have their straight tuxes on! Brown even fined musicians for infractions, from musical mistakes to dress-code violations to behaviour. By 1971 Bootsy, Catfish and Frankie Waddy got restless and on their return from Europe, after yet another clash with Brown, they left the JB’s.
Enlisting Philippe Wynne, who'd sung with the Pacesetters, they formed "The Houseguests", their own band with their own rules and visuals for the glam-rock 70's. The Spinners asked them to be their back-up band. At the same time, George Clinton, leader of "Parliament/Funkadelic", was looking for a band to replace the one that had walked out on him. Clinton said they could keep "The Houseguests" name and be billed as Parliament/Houseguests. While Wynne left the band to become a "Spinner", the rest of the group joined the P-Funk psychedelic carnival. But soon Bootsy, schooled at JB Military Academy, found P-Funk a little too crazy.
Consequently, in 1975 – in order to find some balance - Bootsy, Catfish, Waddy, Joel 'Razorsharp' Johnson, Gary 'Mudbone' Cooper, Robert 'P-Nut' Johnson and The Horny Horns (featuring former "Famous Flames" saxophonist Maceo Parker and trombonist Fred Wesley) formed "Bootsy's Rubber Band". Around that time Bootsy also adopted his trademark space bass. Signing to Warner Bros., Bootsy enjoyed the first of his 15 R&B singles chart entries in 1976 with "Stretchin' Out (In a Rubber Band)." His most successful singles were "The Pinocchio Theory" (1977) and the chart-topping "Bootzilla" (1978). Like Clinton, Bootsy took on several aliases, from "Casper" to "Bootzilla", as part of an ever-evolving character, an alien rock star who grew gradually more alien, bizarre and flashy as time went on. Through 1982 Bootsy released six albums on Warners, including the gold-sellers "Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!" (1977) and "Bootsy? Player of the Year" (1978).
He then took a six-year recording hiatus, and returned on Columbia in 1988 with the appropriately named "What's Bootsy Doin'?" That same year Bootsy appeared in NWA’s Eazy-E’s video for the song "We want Eazy" which heavily sampled Bootsy’s "We want Bootsy". In 1989, Bootsy appeared as member of the Bootzilla Orchestra on Malcolm McLaren's album "Waltz Dancing", featuring the hit single "Something’s jumping in my shirt". In 1990, Bootsy reformed "Bootsy’s Rubber Band" and released the "Jungle Bass" EP which featured the funky dancefloor killer "Disciples of Funk (The Return of the Funkateers)". That same year Bootsy also collaborated with Deee-Lite on their massive hit "Groove Is In The Heart" to which he contributed bass and additional vocals. He also appeared in the music video, while Bootsy's Rubber Band became the defacto backing musicians for Deee-Lite during a world tour. In 1994 Bootsy released "Blasters of the Universe" (featuring Bootsy’s NEW Rubber Band), followed in 1998 by "Fresh Outta 'P' University" (featuring collaborations with Norman Cool aka Fatboy Slim and Mousse T.), and in 2002 by "Play with Bootsy" (featuring Snoop Dogg, Macy Gray, Bobby Womack, George Clinton, Rosie Gaines, Lady Miss Kier and a bunch of other guests). In 2006 Bootsy released a Christmas album titled "Christmas Is 4 Ever".
Over the last 20 years Bootsy has collaborated with dozens of artists from Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart to Ice Cube, from Lucky Peterson to Color Me Badd… He worked extensively with Bill Laswell, Praxis and Buckethead and made appearances on two Fatboy Slim records, including the hit single "Weapon of Choice". Bootsy was also involved in various film projects like "Friday" and "Undercover Brother". In 2002 Bootsy was featured in the documentary movie "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" and in 2006 Bootsy appeared with the Black Eyed Peas in a series of 5 digital short films for Snickers (which can be viewed on InstantDef.com).
In 1997 Bootsy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with "Funkadelic". Now he's passing on what he's learned to a new generation of players like D-Jizzle & i-Candy.

Bootsy Collins is currently touring the world with a James Brown Tribute Show featuring several original James Brown collaborators and a couple of young cats, spreading the word to « Keep Da Funk Alive! ».