Ohio Players frontman Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner dead

http://www.spin.com/articles/ohio-players-leroy-sugarfoot-bonner-dead

Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner, frontman and founder of legendary funk group Ohio Players, passed away on Saturday at the age of 69, according to a post on his Facebook page. No other details are available, but an official family announcement says he passed away quietly in his hometown of Trotwood-Dayton, Ohio.

The statement continues, "Humble yet charismatic, soft spoken and of few words, the weight of his thoughts, lyrics, and music has influenced countless other artists, songs, and trends. He will be missed but not forgotten as his legacy and music lives on. More details and an official historical perspective of his career will soon be forthcoming."

The Ohio Players stormed the 1970s with a hard-swinging sound that combined heavy funk grooves, radio-dominating pop hooks, punchy horns, and sensual album cover art that often became more talked-about than their music (for example, the cover of 1975's No. 2 charting Honey was the source of one of rock history's most enduring urban legends). Formed in the early 1960s from the ashes of Dayton R&B group the Ohio Untouchables, the Ohio Players became intergral in funk's domination of the following decade. Their ubiquitous hits "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster" topped the Hot 100, and three others ("Funky Worm," "Sweet Sticky Thing," "Who'd She Coo?&quot topped the R&B charts as well.