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Zapp (also known as the Zapp Band) was a soul and funk band formed in 1978 by brothers Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, and Terry Troutman, and also included Bobby Glover, Eddie Barber, Jannetta Boyce, Jerome Derrickson, Sherman Fleetwood, Gregory Jackson, and Michael Warren. This band also launched the career of Shirley Murdock and employed the keyboard stylings of The Ohio Players’ Billy Beck in its later years.
Zapp is perhaps best known for its huge 1980 R&B hit “More Bounce to the Ounce,” produced by Bootsy Collins. The group recorded five albums under the name Zapp, and Roger Troutman recorded five others under his own name.
Roger and Zapp are known for the distinctive synthesized sound produced by recording vocals through a Talk box fed by an electonic synthesizer. Roger’s voice can be heard on the Dr. Dre-produced 1996 Tupac Shakur hit “California Love”. Roger also appeared on songs by Johnny Gill, Keith Sweat, Eric Benet and H-Town amongst others.
On Sunday, April 25, 1999, Roger Troutman was found shot and critically wounded outside a recording studio in Dayton, Ohio; he died during surgery at a local hospital. Roger’s brother Larry was found dead in a car a few blocks away with a single gunshot wound to the head. It is likely that a personal dispute had developed between the two brothers; as far as can be determined, Larry shot Roger, then shot himself. |
