Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, and primary songwriter of Primus. Ranked as one of the greatest bassists of all time by Rolling Stone, his unique playing style mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping and popping.
Claypool has been involved in a number of non-Primus projects, including supergroups such as Oysterhead (with Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland) and Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains (with Buckethead, Bryan Mantia, and Bernie Worrell) and duos such as Duo de Twang (with Bryan Kehoe) and The Claypool Lennon Delirium (with Sean Lennon). He also fronts the experimental rock projects Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and Les Claypool's Fancy Band. He has produced and engineered several of his own releases from Rancho Relaxo, which is his studio in California.
Claypool appears in the opening titles of the animated comedy series South Park, for which Primus has performed the theme song since its debut in 1997. In 2006, he made his debut as both a filmmaker and author when he wrote and directed the mockumentary Electric Apricot: Quest For Festeroo and released the novel South of the Pumphouse.
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Les Claypool and Sean Ono Lennon unveil "The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy," a psychedelic concept album exploring A.I., empathy, and free will.
Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade will release "Return of the Live Frogs: Volume 1" on May 22, 2026, just as the Claypool Gold tour gets underway.
Les Claypool, Sean Lennon and WILLOW release the animated video for “The Golden Egg of Empathy,” a playful, bass driven single from the Claypool Lennon Delirium.
Les Claypool calls it the most labor-intensive record of his career. The Claypool Lennon Delirium return with a new concept album and summer tour.
Les Claypool announces "Frizzle Fry: The Phantoms of Barrington Hall," a new graphic novel expanding Primus lore. Pre-orders are open now.
