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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZGAP BAND, TheUSA funk band formed early '70s by Wilson brothers Ronnie (trumpet, keyboards; Charles, lead vocals, keyboards; Robert, bass. They sang in their father's church in Tulsa OK; The band was named after the initials of three local streets: Greenfield Avenue, Archer Street and Pine Street in Tulsa's Greenwood district, known as Black Wall Street, the site of the 1921 race massacre. They became Leon Russell's back-up band (on his album Stop All That Jazz '74, then their own LP Magician's Holiday '74 for his Shelter label); their single 'This Place Called Heaven' was on A&M; then three Mercury LPs all charted '79-80, four more '82-5 on Total Experience including Gold Gap compilation '85. The top 10 hits in the black chart included no. ones 'Burn Rubber On Me' '81 from Gap Band III, 'Early In The Morning' and 'You Dropped A Bomb On Me' '82, both on biggest-selling (no. 14) LP Gap Band IV; the last two hits also made pop top 40. Gap Band V was subtitled Jammin', went top 30.Their hits were later sampled hundreds of times. Ronnie (b 7 April 1948, Tulsa OK; d 2 November 2021) became a minister; Charlie had a successful solo singing career; Robert d 2010. |