12/29/08

What The Fuck Happened? episode 2: ZAPP & ROGER.


by my boy P-Frank Williams (click to visit his site prophetfromit.com)


Lester Troutman knew something was wrong the minute he turned on his cell that morning. It was April 25, 1999 -- a Sunday -- and Troutman already had 25 voice-mail messages. Before he could check them, the phone rang.

"Have you heard?"

It was singer Shirley Murdock, a longtime friend of Zapp, the seminal '80s funk band Lester had formed with his brothers more than two decades earlier.

"Heard what?"

"It's Larry," she sobbed. "He's dead."

Lester's next question was both inevitable and horrifying. His oldest brother was dead, and his thoughts immediately turned to his best friend and other brother. "Where's Roger?"

Shot as well, Murdock replied. By Larry.

That's where memory gets hazy for Lester, where he loses all understanding of time and space. Tensions had been mounting between Larry and Roger -- over money, over the family business, over Roger's career as a solo artist and Larry's role as his manager. But not even their own family saw this coming. Larry Troutman had shot his superstar baby brother, had put four bullets filled with love and hate into Roger's torso in an alley behind the family's recording studio in Dayton, Ohio. Then Larry turned the gun on himself, leaving the first family of Ohio funk stunned and grieving. And the shooting reverberated far beyond the Troutman family, far beyond Dayton city limits. Roger Troutman had been a funk visionary, the man who'd popularized the vocoder talkbox as an instrument and one of the most frequently sampled artists in the history of hip hop -- particularly in the influential strain known as West Coast funk. His murder, and the unthinkable way it went down, was unforeseeable, unfathomable, inexplicable. It was not the way Roger's remarkable life was supposed to end. Lester Troutman ran out into the street, dropped to his knees, and cried.


Police found Roger Troutman at about 20 minutes past 7 that April morning in 1999, in the alley behind Roger Tee Enterprises, the family's Salem Avenue recording studio. Roger had four bullets from a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver in his torso, two in the front and two in the back. Witnesses said he'd been shot as he tried to get out of the passenger seat of a black sedan.

Minutes later, dispatchers got a call: A black Lincoln had slammed into a tree less than a mile away. When officers arrived at the 2100 block of Harvard Boulevard, they found Larry Troutman in the driver's seat, dead from a self-inflicted shot to the head. The bullet, a coroner later confirmed, came from the same .357.

"My brothers and I rode around and tried to collect our thoughts," says Lester of the days following the murder-suicide. "We went to my sister's house, and we wouldn't let nobody come in for a week. ... We got through it with love and bonding.

"A week before was Columbine, and I think there was some type of military conflict [going on]. My mom was watching TV, and she was like, 'I can understand how all those boys' mothers feel.' That killed me."

Word of the shootings ricocheted around Dayton, with pastors somberly reporting the news during Sunday services. The community was stunned.

"It was just so unthinkable," says Dale Degroat. "Larry was the guy in the beginning who told me, 'A lot of money is gonna cross your hands. But never let the money be more important than the people.'"

Nobody knows exactly why Larry Troutman did what he did, but family members say Roger wanted to break off the business relationship with his older brother and manager. Roger's career, independent of Zapp, was on an upswing, and just when Roger's fortunes could have brought new money into the flailing Troutman Enterprises, he was asking for a split from Zapp and, particularly, from Larry's management.

But it was almost certainly more than purely an issue of money. Roger was 47 years old, Larry was 54; for more than a quarter of a century, from Little Roger and the Vels to Roger and the Human Body to Zapp and Roger to just Roger, they'd been part of a team. Now Roger wanted to break that up.

"At a certain point, Roger wanted to do his own thing," says Terry, "which presented a conflict. And so therefore, you've got a conflict that was deeper than business. It was their whole life they'd been together. And then for it to break off? That was a strong move, man. Strong move."

Asked if he resents Larry for taking his brother and best friend, Lester answers quickly. "Of course I resent it. I resent that my brother Roger is gone more than anything else in the world. I resent whatever sickness came over Larry that caused him to do something like that."

Meanwhile, Zapp has reassembled without Roger and begun touring. The group recently appeared at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine alongside funk and hip hop stars ranging from the Gap Band to Morris Day and the Time to Doug E. Fresh and the Sugar Hill Gang. The show, a tribute to Roger Troutman, marked the first time Zapp had performed in front of such a massive crowd without the band's charismatic lead singer and guitarist.

"People see us and say we haven't lost it," says Degroat. "But the truth of the matter is that we lost everything. But God can restore. Roger's not replaceable, but they say that if you have ever built anything solid, anything of value, then it will last long after you're gone."

Roger and Larry Troutman were laid to rest with a joint funeral six days after the shooting, in Monroe, Ohio, halfway between the brothers' native Hamilton and their business and residential home in Dayton. Some 2,000 to 3,000 friends, relatives, and fans packed Solid Rock Church for the service; hundreds more had to settle for a closed-circuit feed outside the main sanctuary. Bootsy Collins was there to pay his respects to the musicians he'd helped break more than two decades earlier, as were members of fellow funk elite the Gap Band, the Ohio Players, and Lakeside. Blues singer Gerald Levert sent flowers, as did Warner Bros. Records. And Rufus Troutman III, nephew to Roger and Larry, performed "Amazing Grace."

He sang it, naturally, through a talkbox.

42 comments:

  1. I was in love with Roger Troutman and the love never dies. RIP Roger. I love you.

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    1. You brought joy and happiness through your music to millions. Roger continue to rest in peace

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  2. I am Roger's #1 fan. I met him, when he came 2 Houston 4 Juneth. He kiss me on d left side of my jaw. I have every album. RIP Roger. Gone but not 4gotten. N e 1 who reads dis, knows who I am.

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    1. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-wanna-be-your-man-feat./id528606148

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    2. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-wanna-be-your-man-feat./id528606148

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  3. That's soooo sad. RIP roger

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    1. I Understand His Brother Was Mad Cause Roger Wanted To Go Solo But He Didn't Have To Kill Him Dam.

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  4. I am also a Roger fan! I went to all his concerts in Charlotte! I got his last album which I play very frequently. This guy was an innovator when it came to creating new sounds to music. I will always admire his style. You are really missed man.....

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  5. I know it's been a long time since this had happened, but in a way I am still in shock. Roger was truly an innovator and I was crazy about him. I was just a girl in junior high when I met him. He was so kind and I will never forget it.

    Being the youngest of 6 kids, I cannot imagine losing two of my siblings at the same time in any way. I am sure his family still grieves the loads of two beautiful souls. I need to pray for them all.

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  6. I still think of Roger....I loved him.....Will always love him.

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    1. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-wanna-be-your-man-feat./id528606148

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    2. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-wanna-be-your-man-feat./id528606148

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  7. Still hard to believe family would do that to family over green paper smhf. R.I.P Roger you will never be forgotten, bcuz everyone is sampling your your style. #AutoTune

    From: NeNe

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  8. I still remember it. I remember putting flowers in the fence behind the studio and crying all the way home. Music has So many senseless losses and "what ifs".. Roger put so much heart in what he did , youd had to be stupid not to hear the talent in every song. Wasn't just the talkbox. My heart will Always go out to his children and grandchildren for what could have been And did to his recently passed mother. No mother should outlive their children. And he will live on. In his children, his grandbabies and his Dearest friends. And Always in his music.

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  9. I was a very big fan & it broke my heart when I heart that fateful morning my brother called me & woke me up in a daze I was gone.......so so so sad.

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  10. Just heard him on the radio and never really knew what happened. It saddens me even more reading the account. I can't imagine what the family must have gone thru. RIP Roger and Larry.

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  11. it's crazy! money is root of all evil and family not close knit like it use to be! The last chapter in the bible say"s that!

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    1. Correction: the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

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  12. Correction: the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Larry's greed and pride gave the devil access into his life and caused him to destroy the life of Roger and himself.

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  13. I met Roger as young adult and spent a beautiful and memorable evening with him. He was so kind, sweet and gentlemanly. It was a night I will always remember and I can still hear him singing only to and for me.

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  14. I miss you so much Roger. Thank you so much for being a part of my life.

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  15. Well I guess everybody thinks Larry did all this!

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    1. Are you retarded??? Larry DID do it. It was a murder-suicide.

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    2. Larry was nothing less than gifted in management and money. Roger was ultra-talented, up there with MJ. They were almost single handedly reviving the Black community in Dayton. No police or hospital record of Roger's last words. Sorry if I forgot to curse for added impact.

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  16. i think his brother was jealous of his brothers. and very greedy f------ coward

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  17. i think his brother was jealous of his brothers. and very greedy f------ coward

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  18. i think his brother was jealous of his brothers. and very greedy f------ coward

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  19. Fuck Larry COWARD ass

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  20. I love to sing, my daughter sings, my son is a very talented rapper/actor..I have tried to push my son into the industry bc I see his talent, but he wants no parts of it bc the industry can be so wicked..This thing that happen with these naturally talented brothers is so,so,so,sad..

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  21. RIP Brothers It Was A Sad Of Your Departing But God Knows All Things!

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  22. RIP Brothers
    Both loves matters your missed!

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  23. BOY I REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY, THE 80'S WHEN ROGER AND THE ZAPP BAND WAS SLAMMING IN THE CLUBS, AND THAT TALKING COMPUTER. THE MAN WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME, WHAT HAPPEN TO ROGER, IS SOMETHING I WOULD EXPECT TO HAPPEN TO ME WITH A COUPLE OF MY SISTHA'S IF WE WERE A GROUP, FAMILY OF JEALOUS DEMONS...…….RIP ROGER, WITH THE ANGELS......XOXO

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  24. Huge fan. The devastating loss still haunts me today.

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  25. I heard all of the theories of why larry would do such a thing. me personally when i heard i thought it had to do with drugs. not on rogers account... but larrys. there are only a couple reasons why roger would end that business relationship. frankly i understand why roger would want to part ways. only roger and his family know what larry was doing and why roger would make that move. again they are family and wont rat on each other. but when i hear the family talk about it. there is no other reason for why that came up. larry was responsible for the management of roger T enterprizes. that alone tells you he was handling money... the only reason roger would want to make that move is because lARRy was dipping a little to much in that cheese. why was he dippin more than others? well he was handling money and you cant let a rat handle cheese. he gonna take a little here and there you know it. so why would larry be miss handling funds? two reasons. 1. he was bad at managing his own money.. he had to be. result of that left him broke and when he heard roger was gonna move thats when the demons entered larry.
    i am not saying this is what happened but all over the world its the same song. if you been around and were cool with lots of people and interact in many different kinds of circles. this is some common sense shit that curses families. especially close ones. family can be just as skanless as the avg nigga comin out the hood looking for a come up cuz his stomach is hurt or he looking for that hit..
    thats why my second reason i believe was drugs playing a part in why larry did what he did to his younger brother. the family claimed god was in the family but im sorry if that is the case bthan larry would have not done that. god may have been in the family but not with larry. the devil was with larry and only that could make larry do what he did. its a case of drugs, bad money managing, and business break ups... it all equals up to hate, frusteration, emotions, resentment and all that other shit minus love. no love was playing part in that sad case. i got a big fam and i have six brothers. we would never do that to the other. growing up we never not even close hd a fist fight. we have said a few things but one thing we did know was each other and what one another was capable of doing. when ever their was heat between one of us. we were all on point and were always talking to one or the other serving as mediarries. my parents brought us up that way. that shit about am i my brothers keeper is real in my family. if you seen that movie four brothers... thats exactly what are.
    the troutmans may not want drugs or anything else brought up in the murder suicide that occured. one thing for sure is they have to talk and deal with it. just because them two are dead dont mean its settled. i again will say my own opinion but i believe they knew how bad it was and they feel stupid because they didnt look after Roger, more so larry than roger... that piece in the article when shirley said have you heard? and the reaction by one of the brothers... after hearing his oldest brothers was dead... he said what right after shirley mentioned larry was dead? right away he said where is roger?
    that says it all... so they knew and i think nobody responded because they all felt some way about what roger wanted to do. they let that feeling of them getting kicked to the curb... Thats when the selfishness enters each individual and they sit back and do nothing.
    what they needed was someone to tell them at that time... How it is.. just because you were all a group growing up does not mean you are on the free ride for the rest of your lives.

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  26. people grow up and people change. families are grown and at some point in time that group shit is going to end. it must or they will be the cause of families breaking up...once man hood settles in its you and your family, thats it. they have a obligation to their own. for larry to kill him over some money that he didnt help make is some real scumbag shit. rogers new opportunity at growing his wealth was his own doing by making music with rappers.. larry nor the other brothers put in to have any feeling. if you dont work. you dont eat. its as simple as that.
    i am upset because that family needed someone to say what i just said to them. so with that its all on their family and friends for not having them words of wisdom and understanding that ol brother cant always hold your hand. its time to grow the fuck up. That fucker larry was either on drugs when he did that or drunk. had to be. i cant invision him doing it with a clean sober mind. probably was a case of larry being out of site from everyone and all of a sudden that dumby knew where roger would be and than he showed up there and shot him in the back like a pussy. didnt have the balls to look him in his face. that i know because it was said he shot roger while roger was getting bout of a car. roger was watching his back and knew that dumby was coming. but even he thought his brother wouldnt bring a 357 to pop him with. what a fuckin dirtbag for real... he killed his brother for lust of the devils goods. if there is a heaven i dont see the lord letting that dumby in... there are no psychos in heaven, especially dont have any guys there that just got done wasting his own brother over money... i hope not because i wasnt told they let people like that in there... dumby probably gonna shoot roger again cuz he didnt give him free coffee or some shit

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    1. Do you know these ppl personally? You seem like you do. Drugs probably did play a role unfortunately. Then Jr passed and the other son murdered a woman. That family has been through a lot and battling demons.,

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  27. Reported that the business owed back irs taxes,so Larry may have been stealing money he was managing.

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  28. A parasite without a host does not live long

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