Nelson Boyd (February 6, 1928, Camden, New Jersey – October 1985[1]) was an American bebop jazz bassist.
He was born in Camden, New Jersey, and played in local orchestras in Philadelphia around 1945, and then moved to New York City in 1947.
While there, he played with Coleman Hawkins, Tadd Dameron, and Dexter Gordon, and later with Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Barnet in 1948.
In addition, Davis's song "Half Nelson" was named after Boyd because of his height.
[citation needed] After 1949, he often played with Gillespie and toured the Middle East with him in 1956.