The Legacy of Ronnie Wilson, Co-founder of The Gap Band
How everyone has a story but everyone does not leave a legacy
During the 1970s, the Gap Band came on the music scene with a bang that captured everyone’s attention, and that attention crossed boundaries as their music traveled nationwide and worldwide.
Ronnie Wilson, center in the above photo, with his brothers Charlie and Robert Wilson was a music talent genius as he wore many labels; a genius in creating, producing, and playing the flugelhorn, trumpet, keyboards, while singing music from childhood to his seventies was the eldest of the three.
Tulsa, Oklahoma has produced many African American greats and has a legacy way before the Gap Band’s formation, i.e. Black Wallstreet where Blacks controlled much wealth from every thinkable aspect of life until the Tulsa Oklahoma riots at the hand of whites who were jealous of the prosperity and independence of the African American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma aka 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Another musician from Oklahoma, the late Leon Russell, helped introduce the band to a wider audience. The Gap Band’s first album was released on Russell’s record label.
Ronnie with his brothers, Charlie and Robert, formed their band in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 1970s and went on to gain much notoriety, fame and fortune.
The name of the group was created or inspired by the three streets in their hometown, Greenwood, Archer and Pine, which defined the “Black Wall Street” district which was later destroyed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
The brothers were raised in a home where music was their staple. Their mother was a music teacher and their father was a preacher. African American churches always had music in all their services.
With music as his backbone, Ronnie went on to develop into an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, contributing keyboards, horns, and percussion in addition to vocals on several of the band’s albums.
Their debut album was Magicians Holiday in 1974. The 1980s was the period of much recognition and adoration. The group possessed a distinctive electro-funk style that became to define an era’s increasingly synth-heavy R&B sound.
The Gap Band went on to produce a number of hit songs, namely, “You Dropped a Bomb on Me”, and “Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” and “Outstanding.”
The Gap Band music went on to inspire countless artists for many generations to follow along with their music being covered by artists such as Ice Cube, Mary J. Blige, Ashanti, Mark Ronson, and of late Bruno Mars’s smash “Uptown Funk” which earned them songwriting credits from some of these artists.
Their career expanded throughout the 80s from writing and performing, and in the 1990s, Charlie Wilson embarked on a solo career. He continues to perform and create music on stages nationwide which has garnered him much recognition on social media.
Robert Wilson, the band’s bassist, died of a heart attack at 53. Thereafter, Ronnie remained active in the music ministry of San Antonio’s Community Bible Church returning to religion after a long musical career.
In conclusion, Ronnie Wilson’s life became full circle within the church as it was his springboard to fame and became his home when life changed for the group as he used his talent for his church. He has died at the age of 73 and leaves behind a wife who adored the man, the artist, and genius. May he rest in peace, he added many dimensions to the world of music.
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