Magic 92.5 – 20th Birthday Bash Featuring Morris Day & The Time, Zapp & More

Artist Information

Morris Day burst onto the public scene with the group’s self-titled album, The Time, which included “Get It Up,” “Cool,” and “Girl.” Soon after the world was introduced the prolific Minneapolis music marvel, the group went on to record three more albums, including What Time Is It? (featuring the hits “777-9311,” “Wild and Loose,” “Walk,” and “Gigolos Get Lonely Too”) and Ice Cream Castle, (which included the hit “Jungle Love”). After three albums Morris Day launched his solo career, releasing three albums: The Color of Success, Daydreaming, and Guaranteed. Combined sales of Morris Day’s solo work and The Time is in excess of 10 million units. “It was such an innocent time,” Day reminisces. “We were just doing our thing, talking the way we talked and dressing the way we dressed. Bringing our personalities to the record. It was us being us. I’m proud of where I came from musically and the things we’ve done, but I’m here with another project. I’m looking forward to the ride again. That’s what I’m focusing on now.” When asked, where have you been? Day smiles his smooth Cheshire (mischievous) grin. “I’ve been waiting for just the right time to launch a new project. I felt that Hip Hop has had such a strong hold on the industry the timing needed to be perfect. I’ve continued to record over 100 songs and to tour. With new artists sampling old-school music, my phone started ringing off the hook. I knew it was the right time.” Morris was performing for Southpark’s 100th episode celebration to a private Hollywood crowd of industry insiders when manager Courtney Benson approached him backstage. “His performance was electrifying, and the audience reaction was phenomenal,” says Benson (also manager to Hip Hop-Superstar Nelly). Benson brought Day to Hollywood Records where Morris met with label head Bob Cavallo and his team, and the deal was inked. Most recently, Morris contributed a cover of Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” for the Haunted Mansion soundtrack and gave an unforgettable performance in Kevin Smith’s hit 2001 film, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, in which Day and the band served as a running plot device and performed a soaring “Jungle Love” finale. “Kevin said he’d written the script with us in mind,” nods Day. In his new album, Day combines classic old school sounds with new music featuring hot new artists. He delivers energetic vocals and witty lyrics, complimented by his trademark smooth-as-silk dance moves, all wrapped up in flashy, dapper fashions!

The nucleus of Zapp circled around three of the five Troutman brothers: Lester, Larry and their younger brother Roger. The duo of Lester and Roger started several groups including Little Roger and the Vels. Larry eventually joined his brothers when their name became Roger and the Human Body, which also included youngest brother Terry. Larry was then the road manager and the leader of the group in terms of all major decisions and connections.

Zapp unleashes funky, high-energy music with a contagious groove built for dancing, loving and good times. Made up of masterful musicians who have been getting down together since the late 1970s, the group’s sizzling chemistry can be attributed to the fact that it has always been a joyful family affair. The band started with Lil Roger and Lil Lester in 1962, which became Lil Roger and the Vels, grew into Roger and the Human Body from 1974-1978, then became a full-fledged movement as Zapp. Now bandleader Lester Troutman, Sr. (drums), Terry “Zapp” Troutman (talkbox/keyboards/bass), Bart Thomas (talkbox/vocals/keyboards/bass), Dale DeGroat (musical direction/keyboards/vocals), Thomas Troutman (keyboards/vocals), Riccardo Bray (guitar) and Anthony Arrington (sax) join to carry on the legacy of a tight-knit group of expert players and funk, soul and party band pioneers. Vibrating with moog bass, electrifying guitar riffs and fresh, clever lyrics, the tight-knit group’s songs demonstrate a wicked sense of humor and an unmatched ability to tell colorful stories and write solid, memorable hooks. Zapp members’ layered recordings and boisterous, Las Vegas-style live shows have always established them as trailblazers in both songwriting and showmanship. In the tradition of stylish masters such as James Brown, George Clinton, Stevie Wonder and Sly Stone, Zapp continues to both inspire and draw inspiration from hot acts like Daft Punk, The Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake.

Since Zapp’s beginnings, its heartbeat has always been the vibrant imagination of the three Troutman Brothers – older brother Larry and two younger brothers Roger and Lester – who jammed together before becoming a quartet called Roger and the Human Body. This early quartet included the duo of Roger and Lester, Ralph Shepard and Chris Croom, whose premiere recording experience was with Capitol Records in 1975- 1976, when they worked on Sun’s debut album as well as the debut of Roger and the Human Body. Hired as studio musicians, Roger and Lester were fundamental to both projects and had already been experimenting with the talkbox just as it was first gaining fame thanks to mega stars like Stevie Wonder, Peter Frampton and Earth, Wind & Fire.

In 1978, Roger, Larry, Lester and Terry went into the studio with renowned bassist, singer and songwriter Bootsy Collins to record an album and were discovered by P- Funk’s legendary leader George Clinton, who encouraged them to name themselves “Zapp” in honor of Terry’s snappy nickname. In 1980, the four original Zapp members released their self-titled debut, co-produced by Collins, on Warner Bros Records. Released that summer, Zapp became a platinum success, peaking at the Top 20 of the Billboard Top 200 thanks to the hip-shaking hit single, “More Bounce to the Ounce,” written by Roger. This triumph led to a major tour with the Commodores

Zapp’s dazzling rise persisted, piloted by Roger, who was the band’s producer, chief writer, arranger and composer and invented brand-new ways to use the talkbox that distinguished recordings. Within five years, the band scored a number of top-ten R&B hits: “Doo Wa Ditty,” I Can Make You Dance,” Heartbreaker,” ballads “Computer Love” and a cover of The Miracles’ “Ooo Baby Baby.” 1982’s “Dance Floor, Part 1” hit #1 on the R&B chart, with Roger’s solo numbers, “I Want to Be Your Man” and a cover of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” also scoring big. By 1985, the group had amassed more than four gold records and was drawing huge audiences worldwide.

In 1983, Zapp’s star was still bright, and Roger was introduced to the R&B legend Shirley Murdock, who auditioned for him and was instantly welcomed into the group in 1984. She toured with the band throughout 1985, the same year, Roger Lester and the rest of their production crew commandeered Shirley’s debut album, which made her an instant platinum sensation.

Over the course of the past 30 years, Zapp’s and Roger’s music has been sampled hundreds of times by artists around the globe, which has kept the band’s buzz going strong. Zapp’s music has had a profound effect on west coast hip-hop, featured in songs by Jay Z, Lil’ Kim, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Ice Cube and many others. In 1995, Roger collaborated with 2Pac and Dr. Dre on the smash hit “California Love.” It became 2Pac’s best-known song and his most successful, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and nominated for a posthumous Grammy Award as Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with Roger and Dr. Dre) in 1997.

For over 30 years, Zapp has played in small clubs, venues and huge stadiums alongside massive legends such as Rick James, Cameo, The Time, Prince and mentor

George Clinton. Though Roger sadly passed away in 1999, the thrilling Zapp legacy lives on, fueled by his original creative spirit, with the hard-working, fearless current lineup still cooking up crafty new material and playing to throngs of jumping fans.

Zapp is on tour NOW and in the studio making a brand-new collection of music, which will be released in 2017.

Blackstreet:  It’s still about the music, not the image. It’s still about the voices, the harmonies – always has been, always will be.” According to the members of BLACKstreet, the variety of sounds goes a long way toward explaining its appeal. “We’ve always been a mixture of gospel, street music and R&B,” Even when their lyrics are raunchy and over-the-top, you can still hear their roots in the Church. Riley informs: “Despite the success we’ve had with songs like ‘No Diggity,’ we’re probably best known for our ballads, we’ve been embraced because of our ballads and it’s very important to us to please the fans.”

Ginuwine: Returning to the forefront of the music world after a four-year hiatus from making records, premier performer Ginuwine is back in the saddle with strong material and his trademarked style. “ I’ve matured a lot since I was last on the scene in 2005,” Ginuwine says. “I wanted that growth to be reflected in my music. Forgot about singing about a club or some drink, I’m trying to take it back to the blueprint that Marvin Gaye and other soul legends designed.” With the release of his sixth disc A Man’s Thoughts, it is obvious that Ginuwine has lost none of the soulful prowess that first made him a star in 1996–the year his debut The Bachelor changed the sound of urban pop. “This is a new beginning for me, and the work I put into A Man’s Thoughts makes me proud.”

Multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and producer Stevie B was among the leading lights of the Miami dance music scene of the late ’80s, later reaching the top of the pop charts with the mega-hit “Because I Love You (The Postman Song).” A native of South Florida, he worked a variety of jobs ranging from car-wash attendant to fast-food server before scoring his debut hit with 1987’s “Party Your Body,” which grew from a regional success to national club smash; it was also the title track of his 1988 debut LP, which went gold. With 1989’s In My Eyes, Stevie B launched his first Top 40 hit, “I Wanna Be the One”; its follow-up, “Love Me for Life,” soon cracked the Top 40 as well. With 1990’s “Because I Love You,” he reached the pinnacle of his success, with the single’s accompanying album Love & Emotion also generating a pair of Top 20 hits, “I’ll Be by Your Side” and the title cut.