I'm 18 and have been playing bass for nearly 5 years now I think (might be closer to 6, who knows?) and I have to say the people that inspired me to get into music and bass particularly, probably aren't too different to those older than me.
Bruce Foxton from The Jam is the one person that made me decide bass over drums, keys or those new-spangled 6 string electric guitars (all of which I had dabbled in when I was a babby). Being the bass player of the band that my parents met because of (whole different story) and being the first -and still best- bass player I have ever seen in concert, I idolise that man, and The Jams music is what, 30-40 years old? (Pretty sure my mom and dad won't want to be reminded just how long it's been!!)