Sugarfoot, top row second from left.
 
Leroy Bonner, AKA Sugarfoot, lead singer of The Ohio Players died this past weekend.

Sugarfoot’s family announced on Facebook:

Yesterday, Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner passed away quietly in his hometown of Trotwood-Dayton, OH. While his family, friends, colleagues, and fans mourn his passing they celebrate fondly his memory, music, and legacy.

Sugarfoot, or Foot, or Sugar, was the founding and cornerstone artistic talent of Ohio Players and the face and sound of the Ohio Players brand, which he knit together and launched in 1964 with former members of The Ohio Untouchables. With a career spanning 56 years, he passed barely short of his 70th birthday.

Humble yet charismatic, soft spoken and of few words, the weight of his thoughts, lyrics, and music has influenced countless other artists, songs, and trends. He will be missed but not forgotten as his legacy and music lives on”

The planet has just gotten a whole lot less funky.

Here’s some great footage of The Ohio Players performing on Midnight Special in 1975.