Zapp / Roger and the Human Body / Roger Troutman

Hamilton/Dayton, 1974-99

In the mid 1970s, Dayton was the funkiest city in the US, with the Ohio Players leading the way. The Troutman family from nearby Hamilton, lead by Roger Troutman, were going to take Dayton styled funk to the next level. They formed their band, including four brothers - Roger, Lester, Larry, and Terry, with a couple other musicians. The band was called Roger and the Human Body and they released two 45s and a LP on their own. 

The band was championed by George Clinton, of Parliament/Funkadelic fame, who got them a deal on Warner Brothers records. They were renamed Zapp and burst out with their first hit "More Bounce To The Ounce".  The key feature for Roger and the band was the talkbox, a vocal effect synthesizer that had also been used by Peter Frampton on his zillion seller "Frampton Comes Alive". 

During the 1980s the band recorded 5 LPs and a bunch of chart hits. Roger also recorded on his own and racked up a few more hits. When the 1980s faded, Roger was doing more production and recording at a facility he built in Dayton. It was outside the studio where, in 1999, Roger and Larry's lives ended with an apparent murder-suicide by Larry. 

More information can be found on the web.

Discography