Ronald LaPread, co-founder and original bass guitarist of the legendary funk group The Commodores, has passed away. He was 75.
According to Soul Tracks, LaPread passed in New Zealand following a brief illness.
LaPread was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, and attended the Tuskegee Institute. At the university, the Commodores group was formed. Initially consisting of Lionel Richie on saxophone, Walter Orange on drums, William King on trumpet, Milan Williams on keyboards, Thomas McClary on guitar, and LaPread on bass, the talented, self-contained funk band found success principally playing local gigs in Alabama.
Eventually, the Commodores rose from opening for the Jackson 5 to becoming one of Motown’s most successful acts. LaPread’s grooving, foundational basslines served as the rhythmic anchor for the band’s diverse catalog. His playing drove the high-energy, infectious funk of tracks like “Brick House,” while providing the smooth, elegant undercurrent for iconic ballads like “Easy” and “Three Times a Lady.”
One of the group’s signature songs, “Zoom,” was inspired by LaPread’s personal struggle with his wife’s sickness.
“At 9:30, I was expecting her to come out of the operating room. 9:30 came and went; 10:30 came and went; at 11:30 she was still in there,” LaPread wrote. “I missed two planes but wasn’t leaving. About 12:10 PM, the doctor came out and told me that she had massive tumors in her womb. He gave her about two months to live. She was 23 years old.”
Tragically, Cathy LaPread passed away soon after the release of the biggest album, the self-titled Commodores.
Following his departure from the group in 1986, LaPread emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand, where he spent the last forty years of his life. Despite the distance, his bond with his bandmates remained unbroken; he frequently reunited with them during their tour stops in the region, including a performance late last year.
Richie paid tribute to LaPread in a post on Instagram.
“Pread, you will be missed, my dear brother,” Richie wrote. “What a ride!”
LaPread is survived by his wife, Farrah, and his children, Ronald Jr. and Soraya.