Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bootsy Collins is releasing his 23rd studio record, Album of the Year Number One Funkateer on April 11 via Bootzilla Records/Roc Nation. Tracing back his legendary career, there was a pivotal moment: when James Brown hired the Pacemakers—the band led by teenage Bootsy and his brother Catfish—to replace his backing group in 1970. 

He also led the side project Bootsy’s Rubber Band, recording multiple gold-certified albums, and began contributing to recordings by artists including Iggy Pop and Herbie Hancock. When Rolling Stone put together their list of the Greatest Bassists of All Time, Bootsy was ranked in the top five. 

Collins has reached new generations for more than five decades. He collaborated with superstar Deee-Lite, provided the lead vocal on Fatboy Slim’s Grammy-winning hit “Weapon of Choice,” and acted as the narrator on Silk Sonic’s platinum album An Evening with Silk Sonic (he even gave Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak the name for their project). 

The 17 tracks on Album of the Year cover all the bases, from the silly Bootsy to the sexy Bootsy (“Pure Perfection,” which uses a delivery that Bruno Mars calls “the Bootsy bedroom voice”) to the social commentary of “Tonight We Rise.” 

In addition to working with young artists like Barbara Teleki and Bootdullivan, Collins brought in some other legendary contributors including longtime friend Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. The album also reunites him with Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and tha Dogg Pound.

Bootsy Collins is one of the all-time great funk and R&B bassists/singer/bandleader. From 1969 to 1971, the group functioned as James Brown’s backup band and was dubbed the J.B.’s. In 1972, Bootsy joined George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic. Collins and Clinton soon established a lifelong personal and musical friendship. He launched Bootsy’s Rubber Band as a spinoff of P-Funk in 1976. Collins’ inspired, clever progressions and patterns were a vital part of such records as “Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine.”
Bootsy Collins’ influence on popular culture is inescapable. His SOUND and LOOK are literally stitched into the fabric of modern music, be it R&B, Funk, Rock, Hip-Hop or E.D.M. Snoop Dogg, Outkast, Flea, Dr. Dre, Rick James, Prince, Daft Punk, Primus, and Thundercat—to just name a few— are all Brother-Natures’ disciples. Today, a whole new generation of music fans have embraced Bootsy’s legacy via Childish Gambino’ platinum hit “Red Bone”, a loving homage to Collin’s 70’s smash “I’d Rather be with You.”

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