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Robert Wilson Of The GAP Band Has Passed Away [Post a Comment]
Sigh. Bassist Robert Wilson, one of the three Wilson brothers who comprised the funk band The GAP Band, passed away yesterday.
Robert Wilson, along with brothers Charlie (lead vocalist) and Ronnie (keyboards), were the nucleus of the Tulsa, Oklahoma based band which took its name from the three intersecting streets in the major hub of the city: Greenwood, Archer, and Pine. They began with a large band in 1974 with the album Magicians Holiday and the eponymous 1977 album on Tattoo Records.
However, they began to hit their real stride when the three brothers pared down the band and went to Mercury Records in 1979 with another eponymous release, referred to in hindsight as GAP Band I because it would be the first of eight albums on Mercury known with a numeric title. That release yielded the hit Shake. Number II would introduce their P-Funk influenced sound with the funk favorite I Don’t Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance (Oops! Upside Your Head), which interpolated the P-Funk classics Disco To Go and Dr. Funkenstein.
The three Wilson brothers developed a shtick in the eighties wearing cowboy hats and outfits and jamming on the one, P-Funk style. They could also do some mean slow jams as well, such as Yearning For Your Love and their version of the Friends Of Distinction classic Going In Circles.
While it may be Charlie Wilson who got the recognition as the lead vocalist, Robert and Ronnie held it down on the musical front. Ronnie had retired from music when he became a born-again Christian and became a bishop, while Charlie began a successful solo career. Robert continued with his own music projects as well and had been working on new music. Sadly, his passing Sunday of a sudden and massive heart attack ended those plans.
The Wilson brothers in the GAP Band are the cousins of another famous set of funk siblings: Cincinnati’s Bootsy and Catfish Collins.
Sigh. Bassist Robert Wilson, one of the three Wilson brothers who comprised the funk band The GAP Band, passed away yesterday.
Robert Wilson, along with brothers Charlie (lead vocalist) and Ronnie (keyboards), were the nucleus of the Tulsa, Oklahoma based band which took its name from the three intersecting streets in the major hub of the city: Greenwood, Archer, and Pine. They began with a large band in 1974 with the album Magicians Holiday and the eponymous 1977 album on Tattoo Records.
However, they began to hit their real stride when the three brothers pared down the band and went to Mercury Records in 1979 with another eponymous release, referred to in hindsight as GAP Band I because it would be the first of eight albums on Mercury known with a numeric title. That release yielded the hit Shake. Number II would introduce their P-Funk influenced sound with the funk favorite I Don’t Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance (Oops! Upside Your Head), which interpolated the P-Funk classics Disco To Go and Dr. Funkenstein.
The three Wilson brothers developed a shtick in the eighties wearing cowboy hats and outfits and jamming on the one, P-Funk style. They could also do some mean slow jams as well, such as Yearning For Your Love and their version of the Friends Of Distinction classic Going In Circles.
While it may be Charlie Wilson who got the recognition as the lead vocalist, Robert and Ronnie held it down on the musical front. Ronnie had retired from music when he became a born-again Christian and became a bishop, while Charlie began a successful solo career. Robert continued with his own music projects as well and had been working on new music. Sadly, his passing Sunday of a sudden and massive heart attack ended those plans.
The Wilson brothers in the GAP Band are the cousins of another famous set of funk siblings: Cincinnati’s Bootsy and Catfish Collins.
Posted by T-Mad on 08/16/2010 at 4:39 PM
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