Just when it seemed the band’s star was rising again, Roger was shot and killed in April 1999 by his brother Larry, who then turned the gun on himself. Roger was featured on the 1996 Tupac Shakur hit “California Love.” The group enjoyed one more hit with 1993’s “Slow and Easy” and disappeared from the charts before it was introduced to a new generation of fans. Roger emerged as the star of Zapp, due to his fun stage interaction with the audience, colorful uniforms and engaging musicianship, which fronted the band’s tight instrumentation and energetic dance moves.Īt home in Ohio, the Troutman brothers earned great admiration for taking an active role in their community building dozens of houses for low-income families. The group scored its first and most famous hit, “More Bounce to the Ounce,” in 1980 and it has become one of the most sampled songs in the hip-hop genre.īetween 19 Zapp & Roger came out with a succession of classics such as “Dance Floor,” “Computer Love,” “So Ruff, So Tuff,” “Do Wa Ditty,” “I Can Make You Dance” and “I Wanna’ Be Your Man.” The band was formed near Dayton, Ohio in 1978 by the four Troutman brothers Terry (keyboards, bass), Lester (drums), Larry (percussion) and Roger (lead vocals, guitar and keyboards.) The group was named after Terry’s childhood nickname, “Zapp.”Īfter gaining popularity as an electrifying act on the local club scene, Zapp was guided by mentors George Clinton and Bootsy Collins to a contract with Warner Bros. Zapp was best known for a special brand of party music that had an electronic R&B/funk flavor, guitar driven rhythms and frontman Roger Troutman’s unique use of the talk box, which made his vocals sound robotic. “Also, it is going to be an ice cold groove with songs we remember like ‘Computer Love’ and ‘More Bounce to the Ounce.’ You don’t want to miss it!” “Your sponsorship will help high school youth who want to continue their education,” said fraternity member Leroy Lewis III. Organizers of the event are encouraging the entire Indianapolis community to support a good cause and enjoy great music at the same time. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Marc Morial, Andrew Young, Art Shell and Lionel Richie. It has been influential in the areas of government, business, education, sports and entertainment. “As we reflect on our past, we look forward to the future, by continuing our commitment through dynamic leadership and service.”Įstablished in 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha is the nation’s oldest African-American Greek-letter fraternity. “For us, this celebration is more than a celebration of the fraternity’s anniversary, this is a celebration of Alpha Phi Alpha’s steadfast commitment to improving the African-American community,” said member Tony Kirkland. The goal of the event is to raise funds for scholarships that the fraternity provides each year for high school students. 4 as the legendary Zapp Band performs in Indianapolis.įormerly known as Zapp & Roger, the group will appear during the annual Black and Gold Ball held by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Iota Lambda (Indianapolis) Chapter. Get ready for hours of dancing on Friday, Dec.
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