Ronnie Wilson was a co-founder of the Gap Band, known for funk and R&B hits including “You Dropped a Bomb on Me.”
- Died: November 2, 2021 (Who else died on November 2?)
- Details of death: Died following a stroke at the age of 73.
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Making music with his brothers
Wilson formed the Gap Band in the late 1960s alongside his brothers, Charlie and Robert Wilson. They took the name from Greenwood, Archer, and Pine streets in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, site of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. Ronnie Wilson played flugelhorn, trumpet, keyboards, and percussion, as well as singing backing vocals. After unsuccessful early albums, the Gap Band had hits on R&B radio with 1970s singles including “Shake,” “I Don’t Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!),” and “Steppin’ (Out).” Their biggest successes came with their 1982 album “Gap Band IV,” including the Top 40 hits ‘You Dropped a Bomb on Me” and “Early in the Morning.” In later years, Wilson worked as a producer and in music ministry at a church in San Antonio, Texas.
Tributes to Ronnie Wilson
Full obituary: Pitchfork
