All Hail Ohio Funk

R&B legends like the late Bobby Womack of Cleveland, along with the O’Jays, who hail from Canton, may have helped pave the way for future musicians from the Buckeye State, but it was just the beginning of a huge spotlight shining down on Ohio’s talent and rich musical history. Dayton, in particular, birthed major influences in the sound of funk.

Originally from Cincinnati, the Isley Brothers became famous for their cover of “Twist and Shout” in 1962, but by the time the 1970s rolled around and this genre of funk music had begun to take root, the brothers changed with the times, and it proved to be a major success for them.

Their 1974 album, Live It Up, reached platinum and in 1975, the Heat Is On featured smash hits like “Fight the Power” and “For the Love of You.”

It became the group’s first album to reach No. 1 on the Pop LP chart and went double-platinum with two million copies sold. The Isley Brothers would have more hit albums, including Harvest for the World (1976), Go for Your Guns (1977), and Showdown (1978), all of which went platinum.

Another Cincinnati native is bass guitarist William Earl “Bootsy” Collins, who rose to prominence playing for the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, in the early 1970s before joining the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. He later formed his own P-Funk group known as Bootsy’s Rubber Band, which included his brother Phelps “Catfish” Collins. Their first album, Stretchin’ Out in Bootsy’s Rubber Band, was released in 1976.

Often cited as a classic, the album reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart. Collins was inducted in 1997 as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

Dayton’s Ohio Players emerged in the 1970s as pioneers of the “Dayton Funk Sound” and one of the most influential bands worldwide thanks to their groundbreaking musicianship and the unique vocals of Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner. The band formed in 1959 with Parliament-Funkadelic’s prolific songwriter Walter “Junie” Morrison as part of the initial lineup.

Behind their risqué album covers were chart-topping songs like “Fire,” “Love Rollercoaster,” “I Want to Be Free,” and “SkinTight.” Junie Morrison is also a member of that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1997 with members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

Also hailing from Dayton was the funk and & R&B band Lakeside, perhaps best known for hits like “Fantastic Voyage” and “It’s All the Way Live.”

There was also the soul and funk fusion band Slave, whose thriving beat from their 1977 hit single “Slide” makes it a go-to favorite that many artists like to sample.

Dayton’s native son, Roger Troutman, and his band Zapp took the Dayton Funk Sound a step further with Troutman’s use of the talk box, which heavily influenced West Coast hip hop.

When it comes to legendary funk sounds, don’t sleep on the Ohio artists who contributed significantly to funk music’s legacy. Much respect.

-Sharon Oliver

Photo: Bootsy Collins (Getty)