Ohio Players
Introduction '''Ohio Players''' is an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models featured in ''Playboy''.The singles "Funky Worm", "Skin Tight", "Fire", and "Love Rollercoaster", and their albums ''Skin Tight'', ''Fire'', and ''Honey'', were awarded Gold certification.On August 17, 2013, Ohio Players were inducted into the inaugural class of the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame that took place at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio.
History The band formed in Dayton, Ohio, United States, in 1959 as the Ohio Untouchables and initially included members Robert Ward (vocals/guitar), Marshall "Rock" Jones (bass), Clarence "Satch" Satchell (saxophone/guitar), Cornelius Johnson (drums), and Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks (trumpet/trombone). They were best known at the time as a backing group for The Falcons.Ward had proved to be an unreliable leader, who would sometimes walk off the stage during gigs, forcing the group to stop playing. Eventually, the group vowed to keep playing even after he left. Ward and Jones got into a fistfight in 1964, after which the group broke up.Ward found new backups, and the group's core members returned to Dayton. They replaced Ward with 21-year-old Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner (guitar), who would become the group's frontman, and added Greg Webster (drums). To accommodate Bonner's musical style preferences for the group ("R&B with a little flair to it") and to avoid competing with Ward, the group changed their format. By 1965, the group had renamed themselves the Ohio Players, reflecting its members' self-perceptions as musicians and as ladies' men.The group added two more singers, Bobby Lee Fears and Dutch Robinson, and became the house band for the New York-based Compass Records. In 1967, they added vocalist Helena Ferguson Kilpatrick.The group disbanded again in 1970.After again re-forming with a line-up including Bonner, Satchell, Middlebrooks, Jones, Webster, trumpeter Bruce Napier, vocalist Charles Dale Allen, trombonist Marvin Pierce, and keyboardist Walter "Junie" Morrison, the Players had a minor hit on the Detroit-based Westbound label with "Pain" (1971), which reached the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. James Johnson joined the group at this time as vocalist and saxophonist. Dale Allen shared co-lead vocals on some of the early Westbound material, although he was not credited on their albums ''Pain'' and ''Pleasure''. It was at Westbound Records where the group met George Clinton, who admired their music. The two albums' avant-garde covers featured a spiked-black leather-bikini clad, bald model Pat "Running Bear" Evans, who would later grace additional Ohio Players albums, including ''Climax'', ''Ecstasy'', and ''Rattlesnake''.The band's first big hit single was "Funky Worm", which reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100 in May 1973.It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. The band signed with Mercury Records in 1974.By then, their line-up had changed again, with keyboardist Billy Beck instead of Morrison and Jimmy "Diamond" Williams on drums instead of Webster. On later album releases, they added second guitarist/vocalist Clarence "Chet" Willis and conguero Robert "Kuumba" Jones. Meanwhile, keyboardist Walter "Junie" Morrison recorded three albums on his own before joining Funkadelic as the force behind their hit ''One Nation Under a Groove''. An internet story in advance of a June, 2017 concert indicated that Billy Beck, Jimmy "Diamond" Williams, Clarence "Chet" Willis, and Robert "Rumba" Jones are still performing.The band had seven top 40 hits between 1973 and 1976.These included "Fire" (No. 1 on both the R&B and pop chart for two weeks and one week respectively in February 1975 and another million seller) and "Love Rollercoaster" (No. 1 on both the R&B and pop charts for one week in January 1976; another gold disc recipient). The group also took on saxophonist James Johnson. The group's last big hit was "Who'd She Coo?" a No. 1 R&B hit in August 1976.It was their only success in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 43 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1976.Their title track "Ecstasy" from the 1973 album ''Ecstasy'' was sampled by Jay-Z on "Brooklyn's Finest", featuring The Notorious B.I.G. from the 1996 album ''Reasonable Doubt''.In 1979, three members of the group went on to form Shadow, which released three albums. A reconfigured Ohio Players recorded across the 1980s, enjoying a minor hit single with "Sweat" (1988). They also released three albums in that decade, ''Tenderness'', ''Ouch!'' and ''Graduation''. Another collection, ''Orgasm'', followed in 1993.In August 2013, the Ohio Players were inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame at the Waetjen Auditorium of Cleveland State University as part of the inaugural class.
Personnel '''Classic lineup'''* Marshall "Rock" Jones – bass guitar (1959–1984)* James "Diamond" Williams – drums, chimes, percussion, lead and backing vocals, timbales, congas (1974–1980; unknown–present)* William "Billy" Beck – piano, grand piano, organ, Hammond B-3 organ, Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, RMI Electra piano, clavinet, ARP Odyssey, ARP string ensemble, percussion, lead and background vocals (1974–1980; unknown–present)* Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner – guitar, percussion, lead and background vocals (1964–1997)* Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks – trumpet, trombone and background vocals (1959–1984)* Clarence "Satch" Satchell – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, flute, percussion, lead and background vocals (1959–1980)* Marvin "Merv" Pierce – trumpet, flugelhorn, valve trombone and background vocals (1972–1982)'''Other members'''* Robert Ward – guitar (1959–1964)* Cornelius Johnson – drums (1959–1964)* Gregory "Greg" Webster – drums (1964–1974)* Bobby Lee Fears – vocals (1964–1970)* Dutch Robinson – vocals (1964–1970)* Helena Ferguson Kilpatrick – vocals (1967–unknown)* Charles Dale Allen – vocals (1970?–unknown)* Bruce Napier – trumpet (1972–1974)* Walter "Junie" Morrison – keyboards (1970–1974)* James Johnson – vocals, saxophone (1971?–unknown)* Clarence "Chet" Willis – guitars (1977–1980; unknown–present)* Robert "Kuumba" Jones – congas (1977–present)* Wes Boatman – keyboards (1980–1981)* Jimmy Sampson – drums (1981–1982)===Timeline===ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:18PlotArea = left:120 bottom:100 top:0 right:10Alignbars = justifyDateFormat  = mm/dd/yyyyPeriod = from:01/01/1959 till:01/01/2020TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyLegend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1959ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1960Colors = id:vocals  value:red          legend:Vocals  id:wind    value:gray(0.5)    legend:Wind_instruments id:guitar  value:green        legend:Guitar id:keys    value:purple       legend:Keyboards id:bass    value:blue         legend:Bass id:drums   value:orange       legend:Drums id:perc    value:claret       legend:Percussion id:album   value:black        legend:Studio_albumBarData= bar:Bobby      text: Bobby Lee Fears bar:Charles    text: Charles Dale Allen bar:James      text: James Johnson bar:Odeen      text: Odeen Mays bar:Peewee     text: Pee Wee Middlebrooks bar:Satch      text: Satch Satchell bar:Merv       text: Merv Pierce bar:Bruce     text: Bruce Napier bar:Robert     text: Robert Ward bar:Sugarfoot  text: Sugarfoot Bonner bar:Chet       text: Chet Willis bar:Rock       text: Rock Jones bar:Darwin     text: Darwin Dortch bar:Dutch      text: Dutch Robinson bar:Junie      text: Junie Morrison bar:Billy      text: Billy Beck bar:Ronald     text: Ronald Nooks bar:Cornelius  text: Cornelius Johnson bar:Greg       text: Greg Webster bar:Diamond    text: Diamond Williams bar:Kuumba     text: Kuumba JonesPlotData = width:11 bar:Rock   from:01/01/1959  till:07/01/1984 color:bass bar:Peewee    from:01/01/1959  till:07/01/1984  color:wind bar:Satch    from:01/01/1959  till:09/01/1979  color:wind bar:Cornelius    from:01/01/1959  till:06/01/1963  color:drums bar:Robert    from:01/01/1959  till:06/01/1963  color:guitar bar:Sugarfoot    from:06/01/1963  till:01/01/2013  color:guitar bar:Greg    from:06/01/1963  till:01/01/1974  color:drums bar:Dutch    from:06/01/1963  till:06/01/1970  color:keys bar:Bobby    from:06/01/1963  till:06/01/1970  color:vocals bar:Merv    from:06/01/1970  till:06/01/1982  color:wind bar:Bruce    from:06/01/1970  till:01/01/1974  color:wind bar:Junie    from:06/01/1970  till:01/01/1974  color:keys bar:Charles    from:06/01/1970  till:06/01/1972  color:vocals bar:James    from:06/01/1972  till:01/01/1974  color:vocals bar:Diamond    from:01/01/1974  till:end  color:drums bar:Chet    from:01/03/1977  till:end  color:guitar bar:Kuumba    from:01/03/1977  till:end  color:perc bar:Billy    from:01/01/1974  till:02/01/1988  color:keys bar:Billy    from:06/01/2009  till:end  color:keys bar:Darwin    from:07/01/1984  till:end  color:bass bar:Ronald    from:02/01/1988  till:06/01/2009  color:keys bar:Odeen    from:01/01/1995  till:end  color:vocals width:7 bar:Satch    from:01/01/1959  till:09/01/1979  color:guitar bar:Diamond    from:01/01/1974  till:end  color:perc width:3 bar:Satch    from:01/01/1959  till:09/01/1979  color:vocals bar:Robert    from:01/01/1959  till:06/01/1963  color:vocals bar:Sugarfoot    from:06/01/1963  till:01/01/2013  color:vocals bar:Dutch    from:06/01/1963  till:06/01/1970  color:vocals bar:James    from:06/01/1972  till:01/01/1974  color:wind bar:Diamond    from:01/01/1974  till:end  color:vocals bar:Chet    from:01/03/1977  till:end  color:vocals bar:Junie    from:06/01/1970  till:01/01/1974  color:vocals bar:Billy    from:01/01/1974  till:02/01/1988  color:vocals bar:Billy    from:06/01/2009  till:end  color:vocals bar:Darwin    from:07/01/1984  till:end  color:vocals bar:Odeen    from:01/01/1995  till:end  color:keysLineData = at:05/01/1969 layer:back at:02/01/1972 at:12/01/1972 at:09/01/1973 at:04/01/1974 at:11/01/1974 at:08/16/1975 at:03/01/1976 at:03/01/1977 at:12/01/1977 at:08/01/1978 at:01/01/1979 at:01/01/1981 at:12/01/1981 at:06/01/1984 at:08/01/1988
Deaths * Clarence Satchell (April 15, 1940 – December 30, 1995) died after suffering a brain aneurysm at age 55. * Ralph Middlebrooks (August 20, 1939 – November 15, 1997) died of cancer. * Vincent Thomas ("Venny Wu") (January 26, 1958 – February 16, 2008) died of cancer in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. * Robert Ward (October 15, 1938 – December 25, 2008) died at home. * Cornelius Johnson (July 12, 1937 – February 1, 2009). * Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner (March 14, 1943 – January 26, 2013) died of cancer at age 69. * Marshall "Rock" Jones (January 1, 1941 – May 27, 2016) died of cancer in Houston, Texas, at age 75.He was the last surviving member from the Ohio Untouchables line-up. * Walter "Junie" Morrison (1954 – January 21, 2017) died at age 62. * Shaun Dedrick died on May 2, 2018, at age 55, following an illness, in Dayton, Ohio. * Gregory "Greg" Webster (January 4, 1938 – January 14, 2022) died at age 84.He was the last surviving member of the original Ohio Players line-up.
Discography ===Studio albums=== Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications(sales threshold) Record label US Pop USR&B CAN 1969 ''Observations in Time'' — — — Capitol 1972 ''Pain'' 177 21 — * US: Gold Westbound ''Pleasure'' 63 4 — 1973 ''Ecstasy'' 70 19 — 1974 ''Skin Tight'' 11 1 15* US: Platinum Mercury ''Fire'' 1 1 17* US: Platinum 1975 ''Honey'' 2 1 36* US: Platinum 1976 ''Contradiction'' 12 1 26* US: Gold 1977 ''Angel'' 41 9 58 ''Mr. Mean'' 68 11 65 1978 ''Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee'' 69 15 — 1979 ''Everybody Up'' 80 19 — Arista 1981 ''Tenderness'' 165 49 — Boardwalk ''Ouch!'' 201 52 — 1984 ''Graduation'' — 48 — Century Vista 1988 ''Back'' — 55 — Track Record "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.===Live albums===*''Ol' School'' (1996, Essential Music)===Compilation albums=== Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications(sales threshold) Record label US Pop USR&B CAN 1972 ''First Impressions'' — — — Trip 1974 ''The Ohio Players'' — 32 — Capitol ''Climax'' 102 24 — Westbound 1975 ''Greatest Hits'' 92 22 — ''Rattlesnake'' 61 8 —   1976 ''Gold'' 31 10 28* US: Gold  Mercury 1977 ''The Best of the Early Years, Vol. 1'' — 58 — Westbound 1991 ''The Best of the Westbound Years'' — — — 1993 ''Orgasm: The Very Best of the Westbound Years'' — — — 1995 ''Funk on Fire: The Mercury Anthology'' — — — Mercury 1997 ''The Best of Ohio Players'' — — — PolyGram 2000 ''20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection - The Best of Ohio Players'' — — — Mercury 2008 ''Gold 2008''  — — — Island/Mercury 2014 ''Icon'' — — — Mercury "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.===Singles=== Year Single Peak chart positions Album US USR&B CAN UK1967 "A Thing Called Love" — — — — ''First Impressions''1968 "Trespassin'" — 50 — — "It's a Crying Shame" — — — —1969 "Bad Bargain" — — — — ''Observations in Time'' "Find Someone to Love" — — — —1971 "Pain (Part 1)" 64 35 91 — ''Pain''1972 "Pleasure" — 45 — — ''Pleasure'' "Varee Is Love" — — — —1973 "Funky Worm" 15 1 50 — "Ecstasy" 31 12 — — ''Ecstasy'' "Sleep Talk" — — — —1974 "Jive Turkey (Part 1)" 47 6 71 — ''Skin Tight'' "Skin Tight" 13 2 19 — "Fire"  1 1 5 — ''Fire''1975 "I Want to Be Free" 44 6 51 — "Sweet Sticky Thing" 33 1 60 — ''Honey'' "Love Rollercoaster" 1 1 2 —1976 "Fopp" 30 9 43 — "Rattlesnake" 90 69 — — ''Rattlesnake'' "Who'd She Coo?" 18 1 63 43 ''Contradiction'' "Far East Mississippi" — 26 — — 1977 "Feel the Beat (Everybody Disco)" 61 31 — — ''Gold'' "Body Vibes" — 19 — — ''Angel'' "O-H-I-O" 45 9 88 — "Merry Go Round" — 77 — — "Good Luck Charm (Part 1)" 101 51 — — ''Mr. Mean'' 1978 "Magic Trick" — 93 — — "Funk-O-Nots" 105 27 — — ''Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee'' "Time Slips Away" — 53 — — 1979 "Everybody Up" — 33 — — ''Everybody Up'' 1981 "Try a Little Tenderness" — 40 — — ''Tenderness'' "Skinny" — 46 — — "The Star of the Party" — 58 — — ''Ouch!'' 1984 "Sight for Sore Eyes" — 83 — — ''Graduation'' 1988 "Sweat" — 50 — — ''Back'' "Let's Play (From Now On)" — 33 — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. '''Notes'''* "Fire" also peaked at No. 10 on ''Billboard's'' Disco Action chart.
See also * List of artists who reached number one in the United States* ''Unsung''
References
External links *  Ohio Players at Wenig-LaMonica Associates* *