Happy birthday Bootsy!

Thursday is the 66th birthday of Bootsy Collins.

He got his first break in 1970 when he was hired to play bass in James Brown's band. He went on to become a major figure in funk music as a member of Funkadelic and Parliament.

This week he's releasing his first solo album in six years. It's called "World Wide Funk" and it features an impressive collection of guest contributors including Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, Bela Fleck and Buckethead. Check it out on NPR's First Listen page.

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