LEGEND PASSES

Commodores Co-Founder Dies at 75

Reports said the musician died following a sudden medical event.

One of the musicians behind some of the most recognizable songs of the 1970s has died. Ronald LaPread, a founding member and bassist of the Commodores, was 75, according to a social media post from his daughter, Soraya LaPread. No cause of death was announced, though the New Zealand Herald reported that he died in Auckland following a sudden medical event. LaPread helped launch the group alongside Lionel Richie, Walter “Clyde” Orange, William King, Milan Williams, and Thomas McClary while they were students at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The band, which signed with Motown in 1972, went on to become one of the label’s biggest acts, producing hits including “Brick House,” “Three Times a Lady,” and “Easy.” “It is with very heavy heart that I must announce that my Father Ronald LaPread has passed,” his daughter wrote. LaPread remained with the Commodores from 1970 through 1986 before relocating to New Zealand, where he lived for the next four decades. He appeared on 11 albums during the group’s peak years. Tuskegee Mayor Chris Lee said LaPread’s career “would impact music fans around the world.” His death comes after the current Commodores lineup announced it would not perform at the Freedom 250-linked Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., saying, “We support the betterment of all Americans.”