It’s easy to recognize a Zapp song as soon as you hear their trademark computerized voice box sound. They revolutionized the industry with it. Combined with their hard hitting funk, the the group has assured its place as Funk legend.
Lead by Roger Troutman, who was more than efficient at polished production, the family group was originally composed of brothers Roger, Lester, Larry, and Tony Troutman. The boys grew up in Hamilton, OH, influenced by hometown heroes the Ohio Players as well as Parliament and other funk groups. Roger on vocals and guitar, Lester on drums, Larry on percussion, and Tony on bass. The group played around the Midwest and gradually picked up more members, before getting noticed by Bootsy Collins, who was hired to work with the group on their debut album.
Released in 1980, Zapp hit the Top 20 on the pop charts, thanks to the single “More Bounce to the Ounce.” The following year, Roger released his solo debut album, The Many Facets of Roger. His special cover of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” complete with vocoderized talk box, pushed the album into gold territory. Zapp II appeared in 1982 and proved just as popular as the group’s first, including Zapp‘s only number one R&B single, “Dance Floor.”
The Zapp story turned tragic on April 25, 1999, when Roger was shot to death by Larry, who then turned the gun on himself. After that the group stopped playing until four years later, they regrouped and resurfaced at the urging of fans. Today they tour the country performing in live concerts with brothers Lester and Terry at the holm.
Other Zapp great hits include: “Computer Love” and “I Want to Be Your Man.”
