Bootsy Collins Spearheading James Brown Tribute
May 06, 2008, 10:55 AM ET
Gary Graff, Detroit


Bootsy Collins is spearheading a star-studded tour dubbed "A Tribute to James Brown" featuring alumni from Brown’s own legendary J.B.’s, the bassist has revealed to Billboard.com.

Collins, who was part of Brown's J.B.'s in 1970-71 before leaving for subsequent sojourns in the House Band, Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band and the Sweat Band, says one of his life's missions these days is to "pay back the man that started my whole career" -- James Brown.

The band Collins is putting together for the tribute tour includes J.B.’s alumni Phelps "Catfish" Collins (who is also Bootsy’s brother) on guitar and drummers John "Jabo" Starks and Clyde Stubblefield, aka the Funky Drummer. Bart Byrd, the son of late J.B.'s keyboardist Bobby Byrd, is also on board, with Tony Wilson and Brown's daughter Venisha -- who Collins says "not only looks exactly like him but dances the way he does" -- providing vocals.

"It's Bootsy Collins’ tribute to James Brown," Collins tells Billboard.com. "It's about James Brown's music, his legacy, what his music meant to me -- not only me but a lot of people, a lot of musicians and fans. So it's pretty much me paying [my] respect."

Collins says the current tribute tour was inspired by a Dec. 22 one-off in Convington, Ky., that also included guitarist Buckethead and rappers Chuck D and Afrika Bambaataa.

"It was awesome," Collins recalls. "People had so much fun, and it was the kind of fun we used to have back in the day, so it was like, 'Dang, this can still happen!' It kind of sparked the vibe of, 'Wow, we need to take this on the road!'"

While he's paying tribute to Brown, Collins is also trying to pay homage to King Records, the defunct Cincinnati label where he got his start and which was also home to Brown, Hank Ballard, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Roy Brown and others. Collins has launched an initiative to refurbish the old King building, not just as a museum but also as an active music-making facility.

"We want to keep the history alive, of course," he explains, "but at the same time I want to take young people in there and get them involved in being creative in their own way. It's all coming along; we finally have the city on our side about how important it is and what we want to do with it. I can't wait for it to be a reality."

Love tha Red

I'll be there this Friday night and I'm working on a pre-show get together as I type. I'm just wondering what I've got to do to get something together with the old King Building.


Thanks for lookin out! You're the best!

SONOFABITCH!!!!!

As of 10 minutes ago, according to the Venue, Bootsy just "postponed" the tour until the fall.


[Edited 5/6/08 11:27am]

I'd sooooo love to see this!!!!
/peace Manki

Slave2daGroove said:

Get the quack out (that's my new word, not aloud to say #@*K anymore). Cancelled already. Well, I'm sure he's still working on the king bldg. so why doncha just call him up and ask him what you can do for him. He's talkin bout settin sumphin up for youngins...maybe you can instruct a program or something. Music camp would be good. I'm sure you would love that. Anyway...yeah, thought of U immediately.
U married yet buoy?