He was a bass player and singer, known as “the Godfather of Bass”, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who was the son of a Pentecostal minister and the brother of Charlie and Ronnie Wilson. He and his brothers learned to sing in the church from around the age of 3 or 4 and from high school years they were performing with various bands.
He performed in a short tour with Billy Preston as a bass player when he was 19, who had obtained him via Leon Russell, who was his producer at the time.
He and his brothers formed Greenwood, Archer and Pine Band in 1967 and released their first album in 1974. They eventually became the Gap Band and started to see success in 1979 which carried on into the 1980s. He co-wrote the band’s hit song “Ooops Upside Your Head”.
The band slowed down around 1984 but worked on the songs for the film I’m Gonna Get You Sucka as well as released the album The Gap Band: Alive and Well in 1997.
He was paid tribute to by Victor Wooton in his 2005 album Soul Music.
He passed away at his home in Palmdale, California, in August 2010 after suffering a heart attack. He was 53 years old.
Gap Band Recordings
Baby Baba Boogie (Lonnie Simmons/Charlie Wilson)
Party Lights Remix (Charlie Wilson/Lonnie Simmons/Ronnie Wilson/Rudolph Taylor)
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