Brick house loses its foundation.
Ronald LaPread, a founding member and former bassist of the Commodores, has died at age seventy five.
His daughter Soraya confirmed the news on social media Saturday, though no cause of death was disclosed.
New Zealand media reports the bassist passed away in Auckland following a sudden medical event. He had lived in New Zealand for the past forty years.
LaPread co-founded the group, first known as the Mystics, with Lionel Richie, Walter “Clyde” Orange, William King, Milan Williams, and Thomas McClary while attending Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
He remained with the Commodores from 1970 through 1986, appearing on eleven albums and playing on legendary hits including ‘Brick House,’ ‘Three Times a Lady,’ and ‘Easy.’
After relocating to New Zealand, he reunited with the band and Lionel Richie in recent years when they toured through the country, including a stop in Auckland just last year.
The Tuskegee mayor called LaPread’s talent and dedication an inspiration to generations. His legacy, he said, will live on forever.
