Bass was born into a conservative,[1] and very musical family, and was encouraged to sing and play piano from an early age.

[2] In highschool he played drums in the marching band, which he recalls as being "rhythmically invaluable to me throughout my music career".

[7][8][9][10][11][12][1] In September 2021, it was reported that Bass tested positive for COVID-19, and would miss a few shows during the band's tour.

[3] Bass joined Shinedown in 2008, before the release of The Sound of Madness, as a permanent replacement for Brad Stewart.

[2] He was influenced by bass players Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots), Chris Wolstenholme (Muse), Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine), and producers Rich Costey, Brendan O'Brien, Howard Benson, Andy Wallace, Chris Lord-Alge.