 |
Roger Troutman (November 29, 1951 - April 25,
1999) was the lead singer of the band Zapp.
Zapp (who also went by the name of "Zapp &
Roger") quickly established themselves as one
of funk's finest, issuing such further albums
as 1982's Zapp II, 1983's Zapp III, 1984's
The New Zapp IV U, and 1989's Zapp V; in
addition to spawning such hit singles as
"More Bounce to the Ounce," "Be Alright,"
"Dance Floor (Part I)," "Doo Wa Ditty (Blow
That Thing)," "I Can Make You Dance (Part
I)," and "Computer Love." Along with his Zapp
duties, Roger also made time to issue solo
albums (mixing R&B standards with originals),
including such titles as 1981's The Many
Facets of Roger, 1984's The Saga Continues,
1987's Unlimited!, and 1991's Bridging the
Gap; while scoring such hit singles as a
cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine
(Part I)" and "I Want to Be Your Man."
On a Sunday morning, April 25, 1999, Roger
Troutman was found shot and critically
wounded outside his northwest Dayton
recording studio around 7 a.m. According to
doctors, the 47-year-old had been shot
several times in the torso and was in
critical condition; he died during surgery at
the local hospital "Good Samaritan Hospital
and Health Center". Roger's brother Larry was
discovered dead in a car a few blocks away
with a single gunshot wound to the head. A
pistol was found inside the vehicle, which
matched the description of a car leaving the
scene of Roger Troutman's shooting according
to witnesses. Police concluded it to be an
apparent murder-suicide, but family members
could not offer any reason or motive. 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.
Tags : Megamix Troutman Zapp P-Funk R&B Funk Soul Disco 80sFunk 70sFunk |
