“He is the funkiest bass player that ever lived. Every note a mighty oak, a bull elephant, a bomb”: William ‘Billy Bass’ Nelson, Funkadelic bassist who coined the band’s name, dies aged 75

Drummer Tiki Fulwood, guitarist Tawl Ross, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, Billy "Bass" Nelson, and guitarist Eddie Hazel of the funk group Parliament-Funkadelic pose for a portrait in 1971.

William “Billy Bass” Nelson Jr, who co-founded Parliament–Funkadelic alongside George Clinton, died on Saturday January 31, just days after his 75th birthday.

The news was confirmed on Clinton’s Facebook page. “Rest in eternal peace and funk,” the account commented. No cause of death has been reported.