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{{Short description|American funk and R&B band}}
The '''Ohio Players''' are a [[funk]] and [[R&B]] band whose heyday was in the mid- to late [[1970s]]. They formed in [[Dayton, Ohio]] in [[1959]] as the Ohio Untouchables, and initially included members Robert Ward ([[vocals]]/[[guitar]]), Marshall "Rock" Jones ([[bass guitar|bass]]), Clarence "Satch" Satchell ([[saxophone]]/[[guitar]]), Cornelius Johnson ([[drums]]), and Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks ([[trumpet]]/[[trombone]]). The Ohio Untouchables broke up in [[1963]], with Ward leaving for a solo career, but the core members of the group returned to Dayton and added Gary Webster ([[drums]]) and Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner ([[guitar]]) in [[1964]]. The group added two more singers, Bobby Lee Fears and Dutch Robinson, and became the house band for New York City-based [[Compass Records]] in [[1967]]. They soon became one of the better known R&B bands of the 1970's.
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{for|the Black Keys album|Ohio Players (album){{!}}''Ohio Players'' (album)}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name = Ohio Players
| image = Ohio Players band.jpg
| landscape = yes
| caption = Ohio Players {{circa|1975}}
| background = group_or_band
| alias = The Ohio Untouchables
| origin = [[Dayton, Ohio|Dayton]], [[Ohio]], [[United States]]
| instrument =
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[Funk]]<ref name="AM">{{cite web|last=Ankeny|first=Jason|title=Artist Biography|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ohio-players-mn0000390390/biography|access-date=July 13, 2020}}</ref>
* [[progressive soul]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/02/15/archives/three-soul-groups-sing-at-music-hall.html|access-date=January 26, 2021|page=16|date=February 15, 1975|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|last=Dove|first=Ian|title=Three Soul Groups Sing at Music Hall}}</ref>
}}
| occupation =
| years_active = {{start date|1959}}–present
| label = {{hlist|[[Capitol Records|Capitol]]|[[Westbound Records|Westbound]]|[[Mercury Records|Mercury]]|[[Arista Records|Arista]]|[[Boardwalk Records|Boardwalk]]}}
| past_members = See [[#Personnel|personnel]]
}}


'''Ohio Players''' are an American [[funk]] band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "[[Fire (Ohio Players song)|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 group disbanded again in [[1970]]. After again reforming with a line-up including Bonner, Satchell, Middlebrooks, Jones, Webster, trumpeter Bruce Napier, trombonist Marvin Pierce, and [[keyboardist]] [[Walter Morrison|Walter "Junie" Morrison]], the Players had a minor hit on the Detroit-based Westbound label in [[1971 in music|1971]] with "Pain," which reached the ''Billboard'' R&B Top 40. The band signed with [[Mercury Records]] in [[1974 in music|1974]]; by this time their lineup had changed again, with keyboardist Billy Beck instead of Morrison and Jimmy "Diamond" Williams on drums instead of Webster. Bonner sang lead vocals on most of the band's hits.


The singles "[[Funky Worm]]", "Skin Tight", "[[Fire (Ohio Players song)|Fire]]", and "[[Love Rollercoaster]]", and their albums ''[[Skin Tight (album)|Skin Tight]]'', ''[[Fire (Ohio Players album)|Fire]]'', and ''[[Honey (Ohio Players album)|Honey]]'', were awarded [[Music recording certification|Gold certification]].
The band’s first big hit was “Funky Worm,” which hit #1 on the ''Billboard'' R&B Charts and made the pop Top 15 in May [[1973 in music|1973]]. The band had seven more Top 40 hits between 1973 and [[1976 in music|1976]], including the smashes "[[Fire (Ohio Players song)|Fire]]" (#1 on both the R&B and pop charts for two weeks and one week respectively in February [[1975 in music|1975]]) and "[[Love Rollercoaster]]" (#1 on both the R&B and pop charts for 1 week in January 1976). The group's last big hit was "Who'd She Coo," a #1 R&B hit in August 1976. The band became widely known not only for their sound, which has been sampled and copied by countless [[rhythm & blues|R&B]] and [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] artists since, but for their sexually provocative album covers, including the cover of 1974's ''Ecstasy'', which featured a man and a woman in a pose of arousal wearing chains and leather, and 1975's ''Honey'', which featured a nude woman holding an overflowing jar of honey and dropping some into her mouth with a ladle. There is also an [[urban legend]] that has it that a scream on "Love Rollercoaster" that came before the second verse was the sound of someone being murdered in the studio while the track was being recorded.It is believed to be the scream of a female model (the nude woman featured on the image for the Honey album)after being stabbed with a knife by the band's manager. She was complaining that the honey and fibre glass she was sat on reacted when mixed causing permanent damage to her legs during the image photography, ending her modelling career. She then approached the manager seeking compensation during the recording of Love Rollercoaster only to be stabbed and attacked. The Ohoi Players then left the scream in as a sick tribute.[http://snopes.com/music/hidden/roller.htm] The band did not discredit this rumor at the time, because, as one band member put it later, "that makes you sell more records."


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]].
Clarence Satchell died in January [[1996]] after he had a brain [[aneurysm]]. Ralph Middlebrooks died in November [[1997]].


==History==
The [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] were one of the bands heavily influenced by The Ohio Players, covering "Love Rollercoaster" for the film ''[[Beavis and Butthead Do America]]''. In the [[UK]], there is a chain of music and DVD stores named after one of their hit songs, "Fopp".
The band formed in [[Dayton, Ohio]], United States, in 1959 as the Ohio Untouchables and initially included members [[Robert Ward (blues musician)|Robert Ward]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rubbercityreview.com/2011/05/the-untouchable-soul-of-robert-ward/|title=The Untouchable Soul of Robert Ward|website=Rubbercityreview.com|date=28 May 2011}}</ref> (vocals/guitar), [[Marshall "Rock" Jones]] (bass), Clarence "Satch" Satchell (saxophone/guitar), Cornelius Johnson (drums), and Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks (trumpet/trombone).<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|pages=917/8}}</ref> They were best known at the time as a backing group for [[The Falcons]].<ref name=McGinn/>


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.<ref name="Unsung">{{cite news|work=Unsung|title=Season 4/Episode 31- 'The Story of The Ohio Players'|date=July 4, 2011|url=http://www.soultracks.com/unsung-ohio-players|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412203828/https://www.soultracks.com/unsung-ohio-players|archive-date=April 12, 2019}}</ref>
==Albums==

* (1968) ''First Impressions''
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).<ref name=McGinn/><ref name="Unsung"/> 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.<ref name="Unsung"/> By 1965, the group had renamed themselves the Ohio Players, reflecting its members' self-perceptions as musicians and as ladies' men.<ref name="Unsung"/>
* (1968) ''Observations in Time''

* (1971) ''Pain''
The group added two more singers, Bobby Lee Fears and [[Dutch Robinson]], and became the [[house band]] for the [[New York City|New York]]-based [[Compass Records]]. In 1967, they added vocalist Helena Ferguson Kilpatrick.
* (1972) ''Pleasure''

* (1973) ''Ecstasy''
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 [[record label|label]] with "Pain" ([[1971 in music|1971]]), which reached the [[top 40]] of the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] [[record chart|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 Records|Westbound]] material, although he was not credited on their albums ''Pain'' and ''Pleasure''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/pain-mw0000202915/credits|title=Pain - Ohio Players &#124; Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2015-07-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/pleasure-mw0000264093/credits|title=Pleasure - Ohio Players &#124; Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2015-07-12}}</ref> It was at Westbound Records where the group met [[George Clinton (funk musician)|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''.<ref name="Unsung"/><ref>{{cite news|date=November 23, 2011|work=art nouveau|url=http://www.an-mag.com/pat-evans/|title=The Bald & The Beautiful|access-date=May 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001214228/http://www.an-mag.com/pat-evans/|archive-date=October 1, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://hymiesrecords.com/the-ohio-players-ladies/|work=Hymie's Vintage Records|title=The Ohio Players Ladies|date=May 17, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ericrobersonmusic.com/2012/11/06/10-pioneering-models-of-color/|title=10 Pioneering Models of Color|work=Eric Roberson Music|author=Sweetlocs|date=November 6, 2012|access-date=May 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525213933/http://www.ericrobersonmusic.com/2012/11/06/10-pioneering-models-of-color/|archive-date=May 25, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=Madame Noire|title=Black Beauties to Know and Love: Model Pat Evans|url=http://madamenoire.com/400173/black-beauties-know-love-pat-evans/6/|date=February 12, 2014|author=Uwumarogi, Victoria}}</ref>
* (1974) ''Climax''

* (1974) ''Fire''
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 [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]] by the [[R.I.A.A.]]<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd|location=London|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/332 332, 348, 349 & 362]| isbn=0-214-20512-6| url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/332}}</ref> 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 [[List of conga players|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dayton.com/events/concerts/and-funk-music-take-over-the-rose-this-week/I1ubgTjvjnNAxsfLZQGFLO/|title=R&B and funk music to take over the Rose this week|website=Dayton.com|access-date=26 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623114812/http://www.dayton.com/events/concerts/and-funk-music-take-over-the-rose-this-week/I1ubgTjvjnNAxsfLZQGFLO/|archive-date=June 23, 2017}}</ref>
* (1974) ''Skin Tight''

* (1975) ''Honey''
The band had seven top 40 hits between 1973 and 1976. These included "[[Fire (Ohio Players song)|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).<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> 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.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last= Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=405}}</ref> Their title track "Ecstasy" from the 1973 album ''[[Ecstasy (Ohio Players album)|Ecstasy]]'' was sampled by [[Jay-Z]] on "[[Brooklyn's Finest (song)|Brooklyn's Finest]]", featuring [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] from the 1996 album ''[[Reasonable Doubt (album)|Reasonable Doubt]]''.<ref name="Tidal">{{cite web|url=http://read.tidal.com/article/jay-z-reasonable-doubt-contributors/|title=Breaking Down Every C Contributor For Jay-Z's 'Reasonable Doubt'|website=read.tidal.com}}</ref>
* (1975) ''Rattlesnake''

* (1976) ''Contradiction''
In 1979, three members of the group went on to form [[Shadow (group)|Shadow]],<ref name="Larkin"/><ref name="soulw">{{cite web|url=http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Shadow.html|title=Shadow Page|website=Soulwalking.co.uk}}</ref> which released three albums. A reconfigured Ohio Players recorded through 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.<ref name="Larkin"/>
* (1977) ''Angel''

* (1977) ''Mr. Mean''
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.
* (1978) ''Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee''

* (1979) ''Everybody Up''
==Personnel==
* (1981) ''Tenderness''
'''Classic lineup'''
* (1982) ''Ouch!''
* [[Marshall "Rock" Jones]] – bass guitar (1959–1984)
* (1984) ''Graduation''
* James "Diamond" Williams – drums, [[Chime (bell instrument)|chimes]], [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], lead and backing vocals, [[timbales]], congas (1974–1980; unknown–present)
* (1988) ''Back''
* William "Billy" Beck – piano, grand piano, [[Organ (music)|organ]], [[Hammond B-3 organ]], [[Rhodes piano]], [[Wurlitzer electric piano]], [[Rocky Mount Instruments#Electra-pianos|RMI Electra piano]], [[clavinet]], [[ARP Odyssey]], ARP string ensemble, percussion, lead and background vocals (1974–1980; unknown–present)
* (1996) ''Jam (live)''
* [[Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner]] – guitar, percussion, lead and background vocals (1964–1997)
* (1998) ''Ol'School "On Tour" (live)''
* 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 (blues musician)|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===
<timeline>
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:18
PlotArea = left:120 bottom:80 top:0 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1959 till:01/01/2020
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1959
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1960

Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:wind value:tan2 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_album

BarData=
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 Jones

PlotData =
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:keys

LineData =
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
</timeline>

==Deaths==
* Clarence Satchell (April 15, 1940 – December 30, 1995) died after suffering a brain [[aneurysm]] at age 55.<ref>{{cite web|author=Doc Rock |url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1995.html|title=The Dead Rock Stars Club 1994 - 1995|website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com|access-date=2015-07-12}}</ref>
* Ralph Middlebrooks (August 20, 1939 – November 15, 1997) died of cancer.<ref>{{cite web|author=Doc Rock|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1996.html|title=The Dead Rock Stars Club 1996 - 1997|website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com|access-date=2015-07-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discomuseum.net/ObitRalphMiddlebrooks.html|title=In Remembrance Ralph Middlebrooks|website=Discomuseum.net |date=1939-08-20|access-date=2015-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713012225/http://www.discomuseum.net/ObitRalphMiddlebrooks.html|archive-date=2015-07-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/04/music-obituary-robert-ward-soul-blues|title=Obituary: Robert Ward|author=Cartwright, Garth|date=March 4, 2009|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=June 29, 2011}}</ref>
* Cornelius Johnson (July 12, 1937 – February 1, 2009).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Ohio%20Players.html|title=Ohio Players Page|website=Soulwalking.co.uk|access-date=2015-07-12}}</ref>
* [[Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner]] (March 14, 1943 – January 26, 2013) died of cancer at age 69.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tlcnaptown.com/1957379/r-i-p-to-leroy-sugarfoot-bonner-of-the-ohio-players/|title=My WTLC Playlist honors Leroy 'Sugarfoot' Bonner of the Ohio Players|website=Tlcnaptown.com|date=28 January 2013|access-date=2015-07-12}}</ref>
* [[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.<ref name=McGinn>{{cite news|url=http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/entertainment/music/ohio-players-bassist-retires-to-funky-town-jamestown-130160.html|title=Ohio Players bassist retires to funky town — Jamestown|last=McGinn|first=Andrew|date=May 30, 2009|newspaper=[[Springfield News-Sun]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101003081514/http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/entertainment/music/ohio-players-bassist-retires-to-funky-town-jamestown-130160.html|archive-date=October 3, 2010|publisher=[[Cox Media Group]]|access-date=April 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dayton.com/news/local/legendary-ohio-players-member-dies/nlc4lqzM0GGdkOnhZ6KcXI/|title=Legendary Ohio Players member dies|first=Amelia|last=Robinson|website=Dayton.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107131100/https://www.dayton.com/news/local/legendary-ohio-players-member-dies/nlc4lqzM0GGdkOnhZ6KcXI/|archive-date=November 7, 2016}}</ref><ref name=PhiladelphiaTribune>{{cite news|last=Vacher|first=Peter|title=Ohio Players bassist Marshall Jones dies at 75|url=https://www.phillytrib.com/ohio-players-bassist-marshall-jones-dies-at/article_c79f340a-8065-5877-88ff-59424940f483.html|access-date=September 30, 2016|newspaper=[[Philadelphia Tribune]]|date=May 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908082653/https://www.phillytrib.com/ohio-players-bassist-marshall-jones-dies-at/article_c79f340a-8065-5877-88ff-59424940f483.html|archive-date=September 8, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Walter "Junie" Morrison]] (1954 – January 21, 2017) died at age 62.<ref name=billboard>{{cite news|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|title=Ohio Players Keyboardist and Producer Walter 'Junie' Morrison Dies|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7694082/junie-morrison-ohio-players-dies |access-date= February 17, 2017|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=February 16, 2017}}</ref><ref name=RollingStone>{{cite news|last= Grow|first=Kory|title=Junie Morrison, Parliament-Funkadelic and Ohio Players Member, Dead at 62|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/junie-morrison-p-funk-and-ohio-players-member-dead-at-62-w467556|access-date=February 17, 2017|newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]]|date= February 16, 2017}}</ref>
* 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)<ref name="obiGW">{{cite web |url=https://www.houseofwheat.com/obituary/Gregory-WebsterSr|title=Gregory A. Webster, Sr. 1938 ~ 2022 (age 84)|date=|accessdate=October 2, 2022|website=House of Wheat Funeral Home, Inc.}}</ref> died at age 84. He was the last surviving member of the original Ohio Players line-up.<ref name=dayton.com>{{cite news|last=Franks|first=Sarah|title=JUST IN: Ohio Players original drummer and leader Greg Webster dies|url=https://www.dayton.com/what-to-know/just-in-ohio-players-original-drummer-and-leader-greg-webster-dies/AV4PLRU6V5HCXHIKBWCOTZ7YEA/|access-date=January 14, 2017|website=Dayton.com|date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114201921/https://www.dayton.com/what-to-know/just-in-ohio-players-original-drummer-and-leader-greg-webster-dies/AV4PLRU6V5HCXHIKBWCOTZ7YEA/|archive-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]<br><small>([[List of best selling music artists|sales threshold]])</small>
! rowspan="2"| Record label
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard 200|US Pop]]<br><ref name="AllMusic Awards"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name="AllMusic Awards"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/list.aspx?OCRText=Ohio+Players&|title=Ohio Players|publisher=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|website=bac-lac.gc.ca}}</ref>
|-
|| 1969
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Observations in Time]]''
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|| [[Capitol Records|Capitol]]
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1972
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Pain (Ohio Players album)|Pain]]''
| 177
| 21
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|

| rowspan="3"| [[Westbound Records|Westbound]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Pleasure (Ohio Players album)|Pleasure]]''
| 63
| 4
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|| 1973
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Ecstasy (Ohio Players album)|Ecstasy]]''
| 70
| 19
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1974
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Skin Tight (album)|Skin Tight]]''
| 11
| 1
| 15
| style="text-align:left;"|
* US: Platinum<ref name="riaa">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd| location=London|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/192 192, 193 & 207]|isbn=0-214-20512-6|url-access=registration|url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/192}}</ref>
| rowspan="7"| [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Fire (Ohio Players album)|Fire]]''
| 1
| 1
| 17
| style="text-align:left;"|
* US: Platinum<ref name="riaa"/>
|-
|| 1975
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Honey (Ohio Players album)|Honey]]''
| 2
| 1
| 36
| style="text-align:left;"|
* US: Platinum<ref name="riaa"/>
|-
|| 1976
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Contradiction (album)|Contradiction]]''
| 12
| 1
| 26
| style="text-align:left;"|
* US: Gold<ref name="riaa"/>
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1977
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Angel (Ohio Players album)|Angel]]''
| 41
| 9
| 58
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Mr. Mean (album)|Mr. Mean]]''
| 68
| 11
| 65
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|| 1978
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee]]''
| 69
| 15
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|| 1979
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Everybody Up]]''
| 80
| 19
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|| [[Arista Records|Arista]]
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1981
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Tenderness''
| 165
| 49
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
| rowspan="2"| [[Boardwalk Records|Boardwalk]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Ouch!''
| 201
| 52
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|| 1984
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Graduation''
| —
| 78
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|| Century Vista
|-
|| 1988
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Back (Ohio Players album)|Back]]''
| —
| 55
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|| Track Record
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

===Live albums===
*''[[Ol' School]]'' (1996, Essential Music)

===Compilation albums===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]<br><small>([[List of best selling music artists|sales threshold]])</small>
! rowspan="2"| Record label
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard 200|US Pop]]<br><ref name="AllMusic Awards"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name="AllMusic Awards"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can"/>
|-
|| 1972
| style="text-align:left;"| ''First Impressions''
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|| Trip
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1974
| style="text-align:left;"| ''The Ohio Players''
| —
| 32
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|| [[Capitol Records|Capitol]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Climax (Ohio Players album)|Climax]]''
| 102
| 24
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
| rowspan="3"| [[Westbound Records|Westbound]]
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1975
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Greatest Hits''
| 92
| 22
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Rattlesnake''
| 61
| 8
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|| 1976
| style="text-align:left;"| ''[[Gold (Ohio Players album)|Gold]]''
| 31
| 10
| 28
| style="text-align:left;"|
* US: Gold <ref name="riaa"/>
|| [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
|-
|| 1977
| style="text-align:left;"| ''The Best of the Early Years, Vol. 1''
| —
| 58
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
| rowspan="3"| Westbound
|-
|| 1991
| style="text-align:left;"| ''The Best of the Westbound Years''
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|| 1993
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Orgasm: The Very Best of the Westbound Years''
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|| 1995
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Funk on Fire: The Mercury Anthology''
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
| rowspan="1"| Mercury
|-
|| 1997
| style="text-align:left;"| ''The Best of Ohio Players''
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
| rowspan="1"| [[PolyGram]]
|-
|| 2000
| style="text-align:left;"| ''20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection - The Best of Ohio Players''
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
| rowspan="1"| Mercury
|-
|| 2008
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Gold [2008]'' <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/gold-2008-mw0000752064|title=Gold [2008&#93; - Ohio Players &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|website=[[AllMusic]]|date=2008-03-11|access-date=2015-07-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.muziekweb.nl/Link/JK147096|title=Gold (2)|website=Muziekweb.nl|access-date=2015-07-12}}</ref>
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
|| [[Island Records|Island/Mercury]]
|-
|| 2014
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Icon''
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"|
| rowspan="1"| Mercury
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single
! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| Album
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br><ref name="AllMusic Awards">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ohio-players-mn0000390390/awards|title=US Singles Charts > Ohio Players|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=June 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106234809/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ohio-players-mn0000390390/awards|archive-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name="AllMusic Awards"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="betts">{{cite book|first=Graham|last=Betts|year=2004|title=Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004| edition=1st|publisher=Collins|location=London|isbn=0-00-717931-6|page=567}}</ref>
|-
||1967
| style="text-align:left;"| "A Thing Called Love"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="3"| ''First Impressions''
|-
| rowspan="2"|1968
| style="text-align:left;"| "Trespassin'"
| —
| 50
| —
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "It's a Crying Shame"
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| rowspan="2"|1969
| style="text-align:left;"| "Bad Bargain"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Observations in Time''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Find Someone to Love"
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
||1971
| style="text-align:left;"| "Pain (Part 1)"
| 64
| 35
| 91
| —
| rowspan="1"| ''Pain''
|-
| rowspan="2"|1972
| style="text-align:left;"| "Pleasure"
| —
| 45
| —
| —
| rowspan="3"| ''Pleasure''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Varee Is Love"
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| rowspan="3"|1973
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Funky Worm]]"
| 15
| 1
| 50
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Ecstasy"
| 31
| 12
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Ecstasy''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Sleep Talk"
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| rowspan="3"|1974
| style="text-align:left;"| "Jive Turkey (Part 1)"
| 47
| 6
| 71
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Skin Tight''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Skin Tight"
| 13
| 2
| 19
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Fire (Ohio Players song)|Fire]]" {{ref label|Note1|A|A}}
| 1
| 1
| 5
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Fire''
|-
| rowspan="3"|1975
| style="text-align:left;"| "I Want to Be Free"
| 44
| 6
| 51
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Sweet Sticky Thing]]"
| 33
| 1
| 60
| —
| rowspan="3"| ''Honey''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Love Rollercoaster]]"
| 1
| 1
| 2
| —
|-
| rowspan="4"|1976
| style="text-align:left;"| "Fopp"
| 30
| 9
| 43
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Rattlesnake"
| 90
| 69
| —
| —
| rowspan=""1| ''Rattlesnake''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Who'd She Coo?]]"
| 18
| 1
| 63
| 43
| rowspan="2"| ''Contradiction''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Far East Mississippi"
| —
| 26
| —
| —
|-
| rowspan="5"| 1977
| style="text-align:left;"| "Feel the Beat (Everybody Disco)"
| 61
| 31
| —
| —
| rowspan="1"| ''Gold''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Body Vibes"
| —
| 19
| —
| —
| rowspan="3"| ''Angel''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "O-H-I-O"
| 45
| 9
| 88
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Merry Go Round"
| —
| 77
| —
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Good Luck Charm (Part 1)"
| 101
| 51
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Mr. Mean''
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1978
| style="text-align:left;"| "Magic Trick"
| —
| 93
| —
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Funk-O-Nots"
| 105
| 27
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Time Slips Away"
| —
| 53
| —
| —
|-
|| 1979
| style="text-align:left;"| "Everybody Up"
| —
| 33
| —
| —
| rowspan="1"| ''Everybody Up''
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1981
| style="text-align:left;"| "Try a Little Tenderness"
| —
| 40
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Tenderness''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Skinny"
| —
| 46
| —
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "The Star of the Party"
| —
| 58
| —
| —
| rowspan="1"| ''Ouch!''
|-
|| 1984
| style="text-align:left;"| "Sight for Sore Eyes"
| —
| 83
| —
| —
| rowspan="1"| ''Graduation''
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1988
| style="text-align:left;"| "Sweat"
| —
| 50
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Back''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Let's Play (From Now On)"
| —
| 33
| —
| —
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

'''Notes'''
* {{note label|Note1|A|A}}"Fire" also peaked at No. 10 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard's]]'' [[Hot Dance Club Songs|Disco Action]] chart.


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of bands from Ohio]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one in the United States]]
* ''[[Unsung (TV series)|Unsung]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151222135723/http://www.wlatalent.com/roster/ohio_players/artistprofile.htm Ohio Players] at Wenig-LaMonica Associates
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5062}}
* {{Discogs artist}}

{{Ohio Players}}


{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Funk musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Ohio]]


[[Category:Musical groups established in 1959]]
[[fr:Ohio Players]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2002]]
[[sv:Ohio Players]]
[[Category:African-American musical groups]]
[[Category:American dance music groups]]
[[Category:Mercury Records artists]]
[[Category:Funk musical groups from Dayton, Ohio]]
[[Category:Progressive soul music groups]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups]]
[[Category:Tangerine Records artists]]
[[Category:1959 establishments in Ohio]]

Latest revision as of 16:00, 7 November 2024

For the Black Keys album, see Ohio Players (album).
Ohio Players
Ohio Players c. 1975
Ohio Players c. 1975
Background information
Also known asThe Ohio Untouchables
OriginDayton, Ohio, United States
Genres
Years active1959 (1959)–present
Labels
Past membersSee personnel

Ohio Players are 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

[edit]

The band formed in Dayton, Ohio, United States, in 1959 as the Ohio Untouchables and initially included members Robert Ward[3] (vocals/guitar), Marshall "Rock" Jones (bass), Clarence "Satch" Satchell (saxophone/guitar), Cornelius Johnson (drums), and Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks (trumpet/trombone).[4] They were best known at the time as a backing group for The Falcons.[5]

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.[6]

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).[5][6] 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.[6] By 1965, the group had renamed themselves the Ohio Players, reflecting its members' self-perceptions as musicians and as ladies' men.[6]

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.[7][8] 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.[6][9][10][11][12]

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.[13] 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.[14]

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).[13] 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.[15] 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.[16]

In 1979, three members of the group went on to form Shadow,[4][17] which released three albums. A reconfigured Ohio Players recorded through 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.[4]

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

[edit]

Classic lineup

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

[edit]

Deaths

[edit]
  • Clarence Satchell (April 15, 1940 – December 30, 1995) died after suffering a brain aneurysm at age 55.[18]
  • Ralph Middlebrooks (August 20, 1939 – November 15, 1997) died of cancer.[19][20]
  • 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.[21]
  • Cornelius Johnson (July 12, 1937 – February 1, 2009).[22]
  • Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner (March 14, 1943 – January 26, 2013) died of cancer at age 69.[23]
  • 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.[5][24][25]
  • Walter "Junie" Morrison (1954 – January 21, 2017) died at age 62.[26][27]
  • 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)[28] died at age 84. He was the last surviving member of the original Ohio Players line-up.[29]

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold) 		Record label
US Pop
[30] 		US
R&B
[30] 		CAN
[31]
1969 Observations in Time — — — Capitol
1972 Pain 177 21 — Westbound
Pleasure 63 4 —
1973 Ecstasy 70 19 —
1974 Skin Tight 11 1 15 Mercury
Fire 1 1 17
1975 Honey 2 1 36
1976 Contradiction 12 1 26
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 — 78 — Century Vista
1988 Back — 55 — Track Record
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

[edit]

Compilation albums

[edit]
Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold) 		Record label
US Pop
[30] 		US
R&B
[30] 		CAN
[31]
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 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] [33][34] — — — Island/Mercury
2014 Icon — — — Mercury
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

[edit]
Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US
[30] 		US
R&B
[30] 		CAN
[31] 		UK
[35]
1967 "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" [A] 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

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  2. ^ Dove, Ian (February 15, 1975). "Three Soul Groups Sing at Music Hall". The New York Times. p. 16. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  3. ^ "The Untouchable Soul of Robert Ward". Rubbercityreview.com. May 28, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 917/8. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  5. ^ a b c McGinn, Andrew (May 30, 2009). "Ohio Players bassist retires to funky town — Jamestown". Springfield News-Sun. Cox Media Group. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Season 4/Episode 31- 'The Story of The Ohio Players'". Unsung. July 4, 2011. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019.
  7. ^ "Pain - Ohio Players | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  8. ^ "Pleasure - Ohio Players | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  9. ^ "The Bald & The Beautiful". art nouveau. November 23, 2011. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  10. ^ "The Ohio Players Ladies". Hymie's Vintage Records. May 17, 2011.
  11. ^ Sweetlocs (November 6, 2012). "10 Pioneering Models of Color". Eric Roberson Music. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  12. ^ Uwumarogi, Victoria (February 12, 2014). "Black Beauties to Know and Love: Model Pat Evans". Madame Noire.
  13. ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 332, 348, 349 & 362. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  14. ^ "R&B and funk music to take over the Rose this week". Dayton.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  15. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 405. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  16. ^ "Breaking Down Every C Contributor For Jay-Z's 'Reasonable Doubt'". read.tidal.com.
  17. ^ "Shadow Page". Soulwalking.co.uk.
  18. ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1994 - 1995". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  19. ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1996 - 1997". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  20. ^ "In Remembrance Ralph Middlebrooks". Discomuseum.net. August 20, 1939. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  21. ^ Cartwright, Garth (March 4, 2009). "Obituary: Robert Ward". The Guardian. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  22. ^ "Ohio Players Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  23. ^ "My WTLC Playlist honors Leroy 'Sugarfoot' Bonner of the Ohio Players". Tlcnaptown.com. January 28, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  24. ^ Robinson, Amelia. "Legendary Ohio Players member dies". Dayton.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016.
  25. ^ Vacher, Peter (May 27, 2016). "Ohio Players bassist Marshall Jones dies at 75". Philadelphia Tribune. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  26. ^ Kaufman, Gil (February 16, 2017). "Ohio Players Keyboardist and Producer Walter 'Junie' Morrison Dies". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  27. ^ Grow, Kory (February 16, 2017). "Junie Morrison, Parliament-Funkadelic and Ohio Players Member, Dead at 62". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  28. ^ "Gregory A. Webster, Sr. 1938 ~ 2022 (age 84)". House of Wheat Funeral Home, Inc. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  29. ^ Franks, Sarah (January 14, 2022). "JUST IN: Ohio Players original drummer and leader Greg Webster dies". Dayton.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  30. ^ a b c d e f "US Singles Charts > Ohio Players". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  31. ^ a b c "Ohio Players". bac-lac.gc.ca. RPM.
  32. ^ a b c d e Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 192, 193 & 207. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  33. ^ "Gold [2008] - Ohio Players | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. March 11, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  34. ^ "Gold (2)". Muziekweb.nl. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  35. ^ Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 567. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
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