Roger Troutman (November 29, 1951 - April 25, 1999) was the lead singer of the band Zapp.
Zapp (who also went by the name of "Zapp & Roger") quickly established themselves as one of funk's finest, issuing such further albums as 1982's Zapp II, 1983's Zapp III, 1984's The New Zapp IV U, and 1989's Zapp V; in addition to spawning such hit singles as "More Bounce to the Ounce," "Be Alright," "Dance Floor (Part I)," "Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)," "I Can Make You Dance (Part I)," and "Computer Love." Along with his Zapp duties, Roger also made time to issue solo albums (mixing R&B standards with originals), including such titles as 1981's The Many Facets of Roger, 1984's The Saga Continues, 1987's Unlimited!, and 1991's Bridging the Gap; while scoring such hit singles as a cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Part I)" and "I Want to Be Your Man."
On a Sunday morning, April 25, 1999, Roger Troutman was found shot and critically wounded outside his northwest Dayton recording studio around 7 a.m. According to doctors, the 47-year-old had been shot several times in the torso and was in critical condition; he died during surgery at the local hospital "Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center". Roger's brother Larry was discovered dead in a car a few blocks away with a single gunshot wound to the head. A pistol was found inside the vehicle, which matched the description of a car leaving the scene of Roger Troutman's shooting according to witnesses. Police concluded it to be an apparent murder-suicide, but family members could not offer any reason or motive. It is likely that a personal dispute had developed between the two brothers; as far as can be determined, Larry shot Roger, then shot himself.
Tags: Megamix Troutman Zapp P-Funk R&B Funk Soul Disco 80sFunk 70sFunk
