Ronald LaPread, Original Member Of The Commodores, Dead At 75

Ronald LaPread, one of the founding members and former bass player of the Commodores, has passed away at the age of 75.

LaPread’s daughter, Soraya LaPread, shared news of her father's death in a social media post on Saturday, May 30.

“It is with very heavy heart that I must announce that my Father Ronald LaPread has passed,” the music producer wrote on her Instagram Stories.

No further information regarding the circumstances of his passing had been released at the time of publication.

According to the NZ Herald, LaPread passed away after experiencing a “sudden medical event” in Auckland. He had called New Zealand home for the last four decades.

The Commodores came together during the late 1960s when the members met while studying at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The band began as a seven piece group and eventually featured Thomas McClary, Lionel Richie, Walter “Clyde” Orange, William King, and LaPread among its ranks. Following a stint on the road supporting the Jackson 5, the R&B and funk outfit signed with Motown affiliate MoWest in 1972.

“Ron received his musical start while attending Tuskegee Institute High School and later Tuskegee University, where he helped build the foundation for a remarkable career that would impact music fans around the world,” Tuskegee Mayor Chris Lee shared in a statement on Facebook. “His talent, dedication, and success brought pride to Tuskegee and served as an inspiration to generations of young people who followed in his footsteps.”

The Commodores earned their first major breakthrough in 1974 with the synthesizer driven instrumental “Machine Gun,” written by Milan Williams. The song climbed to No. 7 on Billboard’s R&B chart. Over the years, the group collected seven No. 1 R&B singles, including “Slippery When Wet,” “Just To Be Close to You,” “Easy,” “Nightshift,” “Three Times a Lady,” and “Still.” Both “Three Times a Lady” and “Still” also reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Richie departed the band in 1982 to focus on his solo career, and later in the decade the Commodores moved to Polydor Records.

LaPread was a member of the Commodores between 1970 and 1986, appearing on 11 studio albums and helping create classic songs such as “Brick House,” “Three Times a Lady,” and “Easy.”

Following his move to New Zealand in the late 1980s, the bassist remained active and occasionally reunited with the Commodores for performances across the country.

News of LaPread’s passing arrives shortly after the Commodores withdrew from the Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C., although he was no longer involved with the band's current lineup.