Ronald LaPread, the co-founder and former bassist of the Commodores, whose deep, propulsive grooves anchored some of the most enduring R&B records of the 1970s and 1980s, died following a sudden medical event in Auckland, New Zealand, on May 30, 2026. He was 75.
The musician’s daughter, music producer Soraya LaPread, announced the news on Saturday, May 30, 2026, sharing a photograph of herself with her father on Instagram Stories. “It is with very heavy heart that I must announce that my Father Ronald LaPread has passed,” she wrote. “If you know me you know my dad. I am devastated. A piece of me is gone from this world.”
A Legacy Beyond the Stage
Tuskegee Mayor Chris Lee memorialized LaPread in a statement on Facebook on May 30, calling him one of the city’s most distinguished native sons and predicting that his music and legacy will continue to live on for generations to come. Lee noted that LaPread began his musical journey at Tuskegee Institute High School and continued at Tuskegee University, where he laid the groundwork for an extraordinary career that would resonate with music fans worldwide.
LaPread’s death comes weeks after the current Commodores lineup dropped out of Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C. in May, though LaPread had no role in the group’s present-day touring operation. In a statement, the band said: “Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party.”
From Tuskegee to Motown
Six students at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama formed the group that would become the Commodores in the late 1960s. Originally calling themselves the Mystics, LaPread joined Lionel Richie, Walter “Clyde” Orange, William King, Thomas McClary and Milan Williams in a lineup whose ambitions outgrew the campus circuit almost immediately.
The Jackson 5 selected the group to open for them in 1971, a coveted slot that introduced the band to national audiences. They signed with Motown subsidiary MoWest the following year, joining a label whose roster was already redefining American popular music.
A Run of Hits That Defined an Era
Milan Williams wrote “Machine Gun,” a bass-driven, funk instrumental that became the Commodores’ first hit in 1974. The track climbed to No. 7 on Billboard’s R&B chart and lent its name to the band’s debut studio album that same year.
The group then delivered one of the more remarkable hot streaks in late-20th-century pop, notching several No. 1 R&B hits. “Slippery When Wet,” “Just To Be Close to You,” “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” “Nightshift,” and “Still” all topped the R&B charts, with the last two crossing over to top the Billboard Hot 100 as well, cementing the Commodores as one of the rare R&B acts of the era to dominate both Black radio and mainstream pop.
LaPread’s bass is woven through that catalog — “Brick House,” “Sail On,” “Easy” and “Three Times a Lady” among them. Across his tenure, the Commodores earned nine Grammy nominations.
Lionel Richie departed in 1982 to pursue a solo career that would quickly eclipse the band’s mainstream profile. The remaining members pressed on, releasing “Nightshift” in 1985, a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson that became one of their biggest hits. The song earned the band a Grammy in 1986 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
LaPread, who performed with the group from 1970 to 1986, appeared on 11 of its albums across those 16 years before stepping away shortly after that Grammy win.
A New Life in New Zealand
After leaving the band in 1986, LaPread moved to New Zealand, where he raised his family and built a quieter life. He never stopped playing.
In a 2022 appearance on the “TRUTH IN RHYTHM” YouTube series, LaPread described a daily routine grounded in music. “I play some bass and some keyboard and some singing. I do it every day because that’s my joy,” he said, adding that he viewed the work as a calling he intended to honor as long as he was able.
LaPread occasionally joined the Commodores during their tours through New Zealand, and in October 2025, he stepped onstage with the current lineup — including original member William King, vocalist Brent Carter, and Walter Orange’s sons Cody Orange and Colin Orange, who perform in the current lineup — for a show at Auckland’s Spark Arena. In a tribute posted to their official Instagram account, the Commodores wrote that LaPread “will always be a Commodore.” “Ronald was a phenomenal musician, an accomplished songwriter and a vital part of the Commodores’ sound and success,” the band wrote. “His contributions to our music and his friendship enriched our lives beyond measure. We were grateful to perform with him again last fall in New Zealand.”
LaPread is survived by his wife Farideh “Fari” LaPread, sons Ronald Jr. and Mark, and daughter Soraya.