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Robert Wilson Archives

The Gap Band: Shake, Live 1981
Bass Videos

The Gap Band: Shake, Live 1981

Robert Wilson was the Godfather of the Bass and a pioneer of the funk. Here’s just a taste of what put him in the history books as one of the greatest bassists of all time. This 1981 clip of “Shake” comes from a live concert in Houston, Texas and has Wilson in top form. The song is chock full of...

The Gap Band: Live At Sinbad’s Summer Jam Music Festival
Bass Videos

The Gap Band: Live At Sinbad’s Summer Jam Music Festival

I was thinking about the late great Robert Wilson the other day and found this video of the Gap Band in 1999 at Sinbad’s Summer Jam. The audio could be a little better, but the Robert and the band are smokin’ through their hits, starting with “Burn Rubber on Me.” Make sure to check out the end of the set,...

In Memoriam

In Memoriam: Bassists We Lost in 2010

As the year draws to its close, we stop to remember the great bassists who passed away in 2010. The bass community lost heroes from every genre, from jazz to funk to punk and everything in between. Here’s our salute to the fallen low-enders. Robert Wilson Robert Wilson, bassist for the Gap Band. Wilson’s funky playing impacted many bassists to...

“Godfather of the Bass” Robert Wilson Passes at 53
Player News

“Godfather of the Bass” Robert Wilson Passes at 53

Robert Wilson, affectionately known as the “Godfather of the Bass,” passed away last night at the age of 53. Wilson was the bassist for the funk pioneering Gap Band, which also included his two brothers, Ronnie and Charlie. The group was in its prime in the late ’70s through the mid-’80s, with hits such as “I Don’t Believe You Want...