Ronald LaPread, who co-founded the Commodores and played bass for the funk-soul group, died on Saturday. He was 75.
LaPread’s death was announced in an Instagram post by his daughter, music producer Soraya LaPread, The New Zealand Herald reported. Ronald LaPread had been living in Auckland over the past few years, according to the newspaper.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I must announce that my father Ronald LaPread has passed,” Soraya LaPread shared Saturday on her Instagram story, according to the Los Angeles Times. “If you know me you know my dad. I am devastated. A piece of me is gone from this world.”
The bassist’s daughter did not reveal details about her father’s death, but the Herald reported that Ronald LaPread died after a “sudden medical event.”
On their official Instagram account, the Commodores wrote that LaPread “will always be a Commodore.”
“Ronald was a phenomenal musician, an accomplished songwriter, and a vital part of The Commodores’ sound and success,” the group wrote. “His contributions to our music and his friendship enriched our lives beyond measure. We were grateful to perform with him again last fall in New Zealand.”
LaPread was a member of the Commodores for 16 years from 1970 to 1986 -- which was first known as the Mystics and then the Blue Jays -- and played on 11 of their albums, according to Rolling Stone. He was featured on bass for the group’s biggest hits, including “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” “Brick House” and “Sail On.”
The band won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance — Duo, Group Or Chorus with “Nightshift” in 1986, People reported.
Ronald LaPread had been living in New Zealand for the past 40 years, according to the Herald. He was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, on Sept. 4, 1950, Entertainment Weekly reported.
While attending the Tuskegee Institute, LaPread co-founded the Commodores with Lionel Richie, Walter “Clyde” Orange, William King, Milan Williams and Thomas McClary, according to Rolling Stone.
In an Instagram post, Richie wrote that LaPread “will be missed.”
“What a ride!”