Ronald LaPread, the bassist whose playing underpinned The Commodores’ biggest hits during the Lionel Richie era, has died in Auckland, New Zealand at the age of 75 after a reported sudden medical event.
by Paul Cashmere
Ronald LaPread, the longtime bassist for The Commodores and a key contributor to some of the most successful soul and R&B recordings of the 1970s and 1980s, has died aged 75. LaPread passed away in Auckland, New Zealand, where he had lived since the mid-1980s. News of his death was confirmed by his daughter, music producer and filmmaker Soraya LaPread, who announced the loss with what she described as a “heavy heart”. Local reports indicated his death followed a sudden medical event.
LaPread’s passing marks the loss of one of the musicians who helped shape The Commodores during their commercial peak. Although frontman Lionel Richie became the group’s most recognisable member, LaPread’s bass work formed a crucial part of the band’s identity across a run of albums that produced enduring hits including “Easy”, “Three Times A Lady”, “Still”, “Sail On”, “Brick House” and “Nightshift”.
His contribution extended beyond performance. Throughout the band’s Motown years, LaPread also earned songwriting credits and played a role in developing the sound that transformed The Commodores from a hard-grooving funk outfit into one of the biggest crossover acts in popular music.
Born on September 4, 1950, in Florida and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, LaPread began his musical journey in church before learning multiple instruments. His early life was also shaped by the Civil Rights Movement, with accounts noting that he marched alongside Dr Martin Luther King Jr during his youth.
In 1970, he joined a young band that would become The Commodores, completing a classic line-up that included Lionel Richie, Thomas McClary, William King, Walter “Clyde” Orange and Milan Williams. The group signed with Motown Records and quickly established themselves as one of the label’s most important acts of the post-Diana Ross and post-Temptations era.
LaPread played on every Commodores studio album from their 1974 debut Machine Gun through to 1985’s Nightshift. His recorded legacy with the group includes Machine Gun (1974), Caught In The Act (1975), Movin’ On (1975), Hot On The Tracks (1976), Commodores (1977), Natural High (1978), Midnight Magic (1979), Heroes (1980), In The Pocket (1981), Commodores 13 (1983) and Nightshift (1985).
Among his notable songwriting contributions was the co-writing credit on “Brick House”, one of the band’s signature funk recordings and a cornerstone of 1970s R&B radio. He also contributed songs including “Look What You’ve Done To Me”, “Gimme My Mule” and “Funky Dancer”, reflecting a creative role that reached beyond the rhythm section.
The 1977 self-titled Commodores album represented a pivotal moment for both the band and LaPread personally. While the record delivered major hits including “Easy” and “Brick House”, it was also dedicated to his wife Kathy Faye LaPread, who died from cancer during the album’s production.
As The Commodores evolved, LaPread remained a constant presence through the group’s transition from funk specialists to international pop stars. His bass playing anchored the sophisticated arrangements that helped produce chart successes such as “Three Times A Lady”, “Still” and “Nightshift”, songs that broadened the group’s audience far beyond their original R&B fan base.
After the release of Nightshift, LaPread departed The Commodores in 1986 and relocated to New Zealand. He settled in Auckland, raised his family and became part of the local music community while largely stepping away from the international spotlight.
Despite leaving the band, he maintained ties with former colleagues and occasionally reunited with members of The Commodores and Lionel Richie during visits to New Zealand. His presence remained recognised within both American soul music circles and New Zealand’s music community.
LaPread’s death closes a chapter in the history of one of Motown’s most successful groups. While Lionel Richie became one of the defining solo artists of his generation, The Commodores’ success was built on the contributions of a complete ensemble, with LaPread’s bass lines providing much of the foundation beneath the band’s most enduring recordings.
He is survived by his wife, two sons and daughter Soraya LaPread.
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