WASHINGTON — Bassist Ronald LaPread, a co-founder of the band Commodores, died over the weekend at his home in Auckland, New Zealand. He is 75 years old. His daughter confirmed the news on social media.
In the late 1960s, LaPrede formed the Commodores with classmates at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and signed with Motown in 1972.
The Commodores and LaPread’s bass lines helped bring the funk genre into the mainstream R&B charts. LaPread’s bass lick was one of the first sounds heard on the band’s iconic 1977 song “Brick House,” and the suggestive lyrics co-written by LaPread captivated American music listeners, propelling the funky song to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“They were like, ‘Oh my God, this is so dark,'” LaPrede recalled in a video of the making of the hit song posted to the musician’s Instagram earlier this year. “I said, ‘Wait a minute… put it on the album.’ … They went crazy. When you hear a hit song, you get goosebumps all over your body. You feel it before anything happens.”
But it wasn’t until the band transitioned into soulful ballads that the band began to truly dominate the pop charts.
The Commodores had No. 1 hits in 1977 and 1978 with “Three Times a Lady” and “Still,” two love songs that showcased the tenderness and vocal range of lead singer Lionel Richie.
Richie eventually left the band in 1982 and went on to become one of the best-selling solo artists of all time. After working with the Commodores on hits such as 1985’s “Nightshift,” LaPread followed suit, leaving the band in 1986 to move to New Zealand.
Richie, 76, who is best known to younger generations as a judge on “American Idol,” considers LaPrede a “dear brother” while affectionately calling the bassist “Prede.” Richie then wrote the full lyrics to “Zoom,” a 1977 song he co-wrote with LaPread, and posted them for his 2 million followers to read.
“I might just be having a stupid dream/But I don’t care,” the lyrics read. “Because I know my happiness is waiting somewhere.”
In a series of touching Instagram Stories, Laprede’s daughter Soraya paid tribute to the musician, calling him a kind and loving father.
“We are the best father-daughter duo,” Soraya Laprede wrote. “If you knew me, you knew my dad. I am heartbroken. A part of me has been removed from this world. I have never felt such deep pain in my life. Because he loved me so unconditionally and so deeply, the loss is indescribable.”
Ronald LaPread was also active on social media and had been posting on Instagram in the weeks before his death, sharing memories of the Commodores opening for the Jackson 5, as well as photos and videos of him jamming with his former bandmates. His resume reads “Still hip.”
Although LaPread has not officially been a member of the Commodores since the 1980s, LaPread has been known to make special appearances with the band at select tour locations.
The Commodores remain an active band and have tours scheduled throughout the summer, with original member William King performing alongside former co-vocalist Walter Orange’s two sons.
