Website williebasse.com Name Willie Basse | Role Vocalist Genres Hard rock, Heavy metal | |
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Born August 6, 1956 (age 67)
Odessa, Texas, United States ( 1956-08-06 ) Occupation(s) Musician, Songwriter, Producer, Engineer, Actor Instruments Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Drums Labels New Empire Media / Rocks Cool Records Associated acts Black Sheep, Slash, Guns N' Roses, Snew, Scorpions, Kottak, Mr. Big, Racer X, Canned Heat, Lynch Mob | ||
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Wilber Rice, Jr., who goes by the stage name Willie Basse, (born August 6, 1956), is a Native American Hard Rock Vocalist, bassist, producer, engineer and songwriter. He was the frontman for Black Sheep, a 1980s metal band that featured a number of noteworthy musicians throughout its line-up changes. The last known line-up consisted of Basse on bass, Marshall Harrison and Brian Conroy on guitars and James Kottak on drums. Other members include, Slash, Paul Gilbert, Randy Castillo, Kurt James and Mitch Perry. In 1985, the band released a full-length album, “Trouble In The Streets”, on William and Wesley Hein’s Enigma Records for which Billboard Magazine noted Basse as the producer. Their EP “Sacrifice” was released on Quicksilver in 1999.
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Early career
Basse began performing at the age of five. From the age of 10 to 15, he received classical training as a member of the Texas Boys Choir in Fort Worth, Texas. With The TBC Basse performed with Igor Stravinsky, Greg Smith (choir director) and Burl Ives who were both on the Columbia label. TBC’s performances with Smith and Ives received Grammy Awards® in 1966 and 1968. "A Time Of Waking", an award winning documentary in which Basse makes several appearances, is about the choir’s principles and work ethic, premiered in 1969. Basse performed with The TBC at Carnegie Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral (Manhattan), Radio City Music Hall, as well as two seasons with The Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico.
By 1976, Basse had moved from Fort Worth to Los Angeles where he met Record Plant founder and Jimi Hendrix producer, Gary Kellgren. Basse toured and recorded with Jimi Hendrix drummer, Buddy Miles and later worked with Andy Johns, whom he met through Kellgren. Known for hosting wild parties at his North Hollywood rehearsal studio, Basse labeled his rock and roll lifestyle “The Sunset Strip Era”. Many of those stories are recounted in the “Tales From The Sunset Strip” podcasts. His office called Rockscool Records, Inc. and printing press supplied flyers to Poison, Warrant, Tuff, Jade, Bang Tango, Pretty Boy Floyd during that time.
Other projects
Basse has worn many hats during his career. He has worked as an audio engineer & producer, a corporate C.E.O, studio owner, and actor who played the part of a studio engineer in “The One Where Eddie Moves In” episode of Friends, also known as the “Smelly Cat” episode. As an officer and member of the Jimi Hendrix Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Basse has a three-fold task. In March 2015, he became the Resource Committee’s VP of Marketing and Celebrity Spokesperson and for several years has played with The Gypsy Experience, a legacy band sponsored by the foundation. Other charity work includes Cruefest and The Skylar Neil Foundation, as well as Feed America – Now and Rock For Recovery. Basse is a past member of Snew and he has worked with George Lynch, Slash, Stephen Stills, James Kottak, Paul Gilbert, Rob Grill, JK Northrup, Jeff Pilson, Vinnie Appice, Carmine Appice and Canned Heat.