Roger Troutman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roger Troutman
Troutman in 1981
Background information
Also known as	Roger
Born	(1951-11-29)November 29, 1951 Hamilton, Ohio, U.S.
Died	April 25, 1999(1999-04-25) (aged 47) Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Funk electro G-funk
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter producer
Instruments	Vocals talk box guitar keyboard bass guitar harmonica vibraphone flute
Years active	1975–1999
Labels	Warner Bros. Reprise
Associated acts	Zapp Parliament-Funkadelic Shirley Murdock

Roger Troutman (born November 29, 1951 – died April 25, 1999), also known as Roger, was an American singer, songwriter, and music producer. He played many instruments and started the band Zapp. Roger helped lead the funk music movement. His music greatly influenced West Coast hip hop because many artists used parts of his songs. Roger was famous for using a talk box. This device connects to an instrument, like a keyboard, to make vocal effects. He used a special talk box with a Moog Minimoog and later a Yamaha DX100 synthesizer. As the leader of Zapp and in his solo career, he had many funk and R&B hits in the 1980s. He also worked with hip hop artists in the 1990s.

Roger Troutman's Life and Music

Starting His Music Journey

Roger Troutman was born in Hamilton, Ohio. He was the fourth of ten children. After graduating from Central State University, he formed his first band, the Crusaders. This band played in Cincinnati and released a song called "Busted Surfboard"/"Seminole".

Roger also formed other bands with his four brothers. These included Little Roger, and the Vels, and Roger and the Human Body. In 1977, Roger and the Human Body released their first song, "Freedom".

Forming the Band Zapp

In 1979, Roger and his brothers were discovered by George Clinton. Clinton signed their new band, called Zapp, to his Uncle Jam Records label. The first members of Zapp were Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, Terry Troutman, Gregory Jackson, and Bobby Glover. Zapp first appeared on TV at the Funk Music Awards show.

A year later, Uncle Jam Records closed. Roger then signed with Bootsy Collins and Warner Bros. Records. In 1980, Zapp released their first album, also called 'Zapp'. This album included the hit song "More Bounce to the Ounce". Bootsy Collins produced this song, and Roger helped write and perform it. The song reached number 2 on the Billboard Soul Singles chart. The 'Zapp' album made it into the top 20 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Zapp's Success and Roger's Solo Career

Between 1980 and 1985, Zapp released several successful albums. These included Zapp, Zapp II, Zapp III, and The New Zapp IV U. Many of these albums sold over 500,000 copies. They also had popular R&B songs like "Be Alright", "Dance Floor", "I Can Make You Dance", "Heartbreaker", "It Doesn't Really Matter", and "Computer Love". Over the years, about 15 different musicians played in Zapp.

In 1993, Zapp released their best-selling album, Zapp & Roger: All the Greatest Hits. This album featured new versions of Roger's solo songs and a new song called "Slow and Easy". This album sold over two million copies.

In 1981, Roger released his first solo album, The Many Facets of Roger. It included a funk version of Marvin Gaye's song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", which became a number 1 R&B hit. This album sold over a million copies.

Roger released his second solo album, The Saga Continues..., in 1984. It featured songs like "Girl Cut It Out" and "It's in the Mix". In 1987, Roger had his most successful solo album, Unlimited!. This album included the hit song "I Want to Be Your Man", which reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the R&B chart.

Working with Other Artists

Besides his work with Zapp and his solo music, Roger also produced and wrote songs for other artists. He worked with Shirley Murdock, producing her hit song "As We Lay" in 1985. He also appeared on Scritti Politti's album Provision in 1988, providing talk box vocals on two songs.

In 1991, Roger released his last solo album, Bridging the Gap, which included the song "Everybody (Get Up)". He also worked with Elvis Costello on a song. In 1989, Roger recorded a tribute song called "I'm So Happy" for basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Later Career and Collaborations

After releasing All the Greatest Hits, Roger went on tour. He was invited to appear on several hip-hop albums. In 1995, Roger performed vocals on 2Pac and Dr. Dre's famous song "California Love". This song became Roger's biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and selling over two million copies. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award.

Roger also produced a top 10 R&B hit cover of "Thin Line Between Love and Hate". This song was performed by Shirley Murdock and H-Town, with Roger adding talk box vocals. He also appeared on the song "Master of the Game" from rapper Kool Keith's album Black Elvis/Lost In Space.

Roger Troutman's Passing

On April 25, 1999, Roger Troutman was found with serious injuries outside his recording studio in Dayton, Ohio. He passed away during surgery at the hospital.

Roger Troutman's Albums

Studio Albums

Roger Troutman's Songs

Singles

Songs Featuring Roger Troutman

Songs from Movie Soundtracks

See also

In Spanish: Roger Troutman para niños