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Dayton Memories >
Leroy Bonner - Ohio Players
Leroy Bonner - Ohio Players
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LHelton
61 posts
Jan 30, 2013
9:35 PM
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Leroy Bonner, Frontman of Ohio Players, Dies at 69 (AP)
Leroy Bonner, the frontman of the Ohio Players, a funk band whose influence lasted well beyond the string of hits it had in the mid-1970s, died on Saturday in Trotwood, Ohio, near Dayton. He was 69.
Mr. Bonner, a singer and guitarist better known by his nickname, Sugarfoot, teamed in the 1960s with core members of a group called the Ohio Untouchables to form the Ohio Players. The group became known for its brassy, bottom-heavy dance music — as well as its flamboyant outfits and provocative album covers — and reached both the pop and rhythm-and-blues charts with “Love Rollercoaster,” “Fire,” “Skin Tight,” “Funky Worm” and other songs.
From 1973 to 1976 the Ohio Players had seven singles in the Billboard Top 40. Both “Fire” and “Love Rollercoaster” reached No. 1.
Although the band’s heyday was four decades ago, its sound has been kept alive by others.
“Love Rollercoaster” gained new fans through a 1996 cover version by Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Funky Worm” has been sampled by many hip-hop artists.
Born in Hamilton, Ohio, about 20 miles north of Cincinnati, in 1943, Leroy Bonner grew up poor, the oldest child in a large family. Information about his survivors was not available.
After running away from home at 14, he wound up in Dayton, where he connected with the musicians who would form the Ohio Players. The band’s lineup changed over the years, but its instrumentation and sound remained basically the same: a solid, driving groove provided by guitar, keyboards, bass and drums, punctuated by staccato blasts from a horn section.
Vocals were a secondary consideration. “We were players,” Mr. Bonner told The Dayton Daily News in 2003. “We weren’t trying to be lead singers.” The core members of the band did not originally sing, he explained, but “we got so tired of having singers leave us that we decided we’d just do the singing ourselves.”
“I used to play with my back to the audience in the old days,” he added. “I didn’t want to see them because they were distracting. Then the first time I turned around and opened my mouth, we had a hit record with ‘Skin Tight.’ That’s amazing to me.”
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copson
37 posts
Jan 31, 2013
11:29 AM
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LHelton, We built a home in sycamore woods,off sycamore blvd.. If i'm not mistaken he was one of our neighbors.. That was when sycamore woods was just being established.. We owned yellow cab and i would bring them home from the airport.. He and they were great people..I remember the big boom boxes and they would play their music the whole ride. It was a fun time.. Then I would stop by home for a bite, and see my kids.. When I finished working in the office I would drive some during the evenings... don..
Last Edited by on Jan 31, 2013 11:32 AM
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Timosha
13 posts
Feb 01, 2013
7:25 AM
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I'm not sure if it was Sugar or not but one of them lived across the street from Meadows of Catalpa condos off Philadelphia Dr. You could see the gold records through their window when driving by. I remember seeing Sugar around that area, his license plate on his red Ferrari was RAGUS, so when he came up behind you and you looked in your rearview mirror you saw SUGAR. Red Ferrari, SUGAR license plate and a huge afro. One of my great memories of N Dayton, these guys played some great funky music. Loved that era.
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copson
49 posts
Feb 01, 2013
11:52 AM
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Timosha, You may be right about that.. I remember that car. and the license plate. I cant remember the name of the recording studio on salem ave, I believe that they recorded there some.. Was it TROUTMANS ?. That's where I seen that car. It would be parked there a lot.. I dont remember the car parked at their homes in sycamore woods, but, they had garages.. Yeah man, their music used to rock in the ol cab.. They really cranked those big boom box's up..They used to special me to and from the airport Because I used to let them ( PARTY ).. if you know what I mean.. Hey, it was a long plane ride man..What was the old saying? ( DONT BE A SQUARE IF YOU HAVE LONG HAIR )..
Last Edited by on Feb 01, 2013 12:06 PM
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Mark1984
74 posts
Feb 01, 2013
4:35 PM
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Copson. The recording studio was at Salem and Catalpa. Troutman Sound Labs. Roger Troutman formerly of Zapp was involved in the operation of it along with his brother I believe.
Last Edited by on Feb 01, 2013 4:35 PM
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Timosha
14 posts
Feb 02, 2013
8:57 AM
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Copson that's hilarious. Sounds like a fun cab ride yeah man those were good times.
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copson
58 posts
Feb 02, 2013
12:35 PM
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mark1984.Thanks, That's it man salem and catalpa.. thanks driver62 for that input,I did not know that....Timosha, Hey, i'm lucky that i can remember man... I remember when my brother came home from the NAVY in 72, He had this dark wooden ball ( it was 1/2 the size of a tennis ball ), hanging from his neck on a leather string it was shellacked.. Come to find out it wasnt a wooden ball but a big ball of dark hash he got from vietnam.. just wore right through all the checks.. They either didnt care. or just missed it. even my dad didnt notice... Yeah good times....
Last Edited by on Feb 02, 2013 12:38 PM
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copson
63 posts
Feb 04, 2013
5:19 PM
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By the way, that brother i was talking about, later joined the HARI KRISHNA'S.. They all lived in a big house on salem ave just south of richmond ave..
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JJCofMAINE
14 posts
Feb 17, 2013
6:13 PM
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In 1973, I hired a young man for computer operations for Peter Kuntz Co., downtown Dayton. That man, Bob Green, hung around on the weekends, occasionally, with the Ohio Players. One Monday morning, we were discussing our weekends. He happened to mention that he was at a party with the Players, and an attractive young lady approached him and asked him to dance. Bob was a bit shy, and said, "...no thanks". As she walked away, one of the band members asked him if he knew who the lady was that he had just refused to dance with. Bob said, "No". The band member said, "that was Chaka Khan". Bob had missed out on his "few minutes of fame".
Last Edited by JJCofMAINE on Feb 17, 2013 6:15 PM
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copson
96 posts
Feb 22, 2013
2:14 PM
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jjcofmaine.. OMG !!!...
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