Funk Icon Bootsy Collins Earns AARP Dream Award
William “Bootsy” Collins’ support for musicians young and old and his help in providing dental care to underserved populations have earned him the Living the Dream Award from AARP in Cincinnati.
To celebrate, the organization will honor Collins during a free virtual ceremony on Friday, Jan. 15, from 8 to 9 p.m.
The program will feature an interview with Collins, a Cincinnati native and renowned funk bass guitarist. Special performances and remarks about Martin Luther King Jr. will round out the event.
Collins, 69, and other members of Parliament-Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2010, he launched the Bootsy Collins Foundation, which administers the Say It Loud-An-Instrument-4-Every-Child program, designed to educate and motivate young musicians.
The foundation’s Kyle Willis Oral Care Program provides access to resources and dental care for those in need.
Recently, the Bootsy Collins “Stars” MusiCares Challenge has supported musicians financially harmed by the pandemic.
Since 2019, AARP in Cincinnati has celebrated King’s legacy by naming an honoree who embodies living the dream today.
Register at aarp.org/cincinnati to watch the award ceremony live or at a later date.
