Before there was T-Pain, there was Zapp & Roger. The group led by Roger Troutman was known for creating some of the hottest funk hits of the 1980s that were heavy on bass and Roger’s futuristic vocals – courtesy of his infamous talkbox.
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But in spite of the group’s success, the Troutman family would experience unspeakable tragedy that took the lives of brothers and bandmates Larry and Roger Troutman.
Zapp & Roger’s musical legacy lives on with songs that still rock at parties and family reunions everywhere and in countless hip-hop and R&B samples. This is the group’s story.
Humble Beginnings
The Troutman family consisted of 10 children who grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, a small town outside of Dayton. Their home was small, consisting of two bedrooms and one bathroom, but the love the family shared made the kids feel like they had everything they needed.
“We all were poor, and we all were loving, and we didn’t know we were poor,” sister Loretta Troutman said in an episode of “Unsung.”
A Master of Instruments
Roger Troutman showed an interest in music from a young age. He told Dayton Daily News that his father, Rufus Sr., encouraged him to master multiple instruments, telling him he had to learn to play them before he would buy him one of his own.
In the interview, Troutman said he remembered his dad telling him, “I did that so you would understand that instruments are merely a vehicle to express what’s inside you. If you had just picked up one instrument, it would have limited you.”
Roger & The Human Body
Brothers Larry, Lester and Terry eventually got in on the act and joined Roger as the group Roger and the Human Body. Dad Rufus Sr. built a garage studio for his kids to practice their music so they wouldn’t have to play in the house. Inspired by other Ohio acts like Slave, Lakeside, Bootsy Collins and The Ohio Players, the brothers quickly found local success.
A Boost From Bootsy
Things took off for the Troutman brothers when they were heard by Bootsy Collins, who was playing in the band Funkadelic at the time. Their connection to Bootsy would ultimately lead the group to legendary funk artist George Clinton. After hearing the talented brothers play, Clinton convinced them to change their name to Zapp and helped them secure a record deal with Warner Bros. Records in 1979.
The Talkbox
One of the things that made the group’s music so unique was the use of the talkbox, a device connected to a keyboard that allowed Roger to create different voice effects. In a 1987 interview with Donnie Simpson for “Video Soul,” Troutman explained why he decided to incorporate the synthesized sound into their music.
“I had heard it with Peter Frampton and a couple of other artists, and I would use it before we had hit records playing in nightclubs doing cover songs,” he said. “And every time I would use the voice box, people would be dancing…and they would look up, and it would seem to hypnotize them in a way.”
“More Bounce to the Ounce”
Zapp & Roger had their first big hit with 1980’s “More Bounce to the Ounce,” which climbed all the way to number two on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. Roger played multiple instruments – guitar, bass and synthesizer – and provided vocals on the funky track.
The song’s irresistible baseline has been sampled by artists, including EPMD, Ice Cube, Heavy D & The Boyz and The Notorious B.I.G.
“Computer Love”
People may have thought the talkbox technique would only work on dance tracks, but Troutman proved them wrong in 1985 with the hit slow jam “Computer Love.” The song has been sampled by Usher, 2Pac and Ne-Yo to name a few.
“I Wanna Be Your Man”
Roger went on to have solo success in 1987 with the slow jam “I Wanna Be Your Man.” The song peaked at number three on the US pop chart and has been sampled by the likes of T.I., Cam’ron and Ja Rule.
“California Love”
Troutman’s funky sound had a huge impact on hip-hop, with many of his songs getting love from the industry’s hottest artists. But in 1995, he was part of one of the year’s biggest hip-hop singles, providing the chorus on 2Pac’s “California Love.”
The song, released on Dec. 3, 1995, was intended to be part of 2Pac’s comeback after signing with Death Row Records after his 1995 release from prison. “California Love” was a huge mainstream hit, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1996.
No Regrets
Although Roger’s hit-making luck ran out in the 1990s, he was happy to have been able to make music that people loved for so long.
“I used to worry about whether my next record would make the charts,” he told The Guardian in 1999. “But, you know what? The other day, I was sitting in a restaurant and about six people came over and said how much they loved my work. Making an impression on people’s consciousness, being loved for something you created, that’s what it’s all about.”
A Tragic Ending
Tragedy struck the Troutman family on April 25, 1999 when Roger was shot by brother Larry in the alley behind the family’s Ohio music studio, according to Dayton Daily News in an apparent murder-suicide. While the details aren’t clear about what caused the beef between the brothers, Larry was later found in his car dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Roger was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center.
A Lasting Legacy
Roger Troutman will always be remembered for the unique contributions he made to the music industry. In 2024, Troutman’s hometown of Hamilton, Ohio paid tribute to him by renaming the street on which he grew up in his honor. “It’s the most amazing thing that I could ever even imagine,” Roger’s brother Lester Troutman told the local NBC affiliate WLWT. “This is beautiful.”
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