Born in Hamilton, Troutman recorded at his studio in northwest Dayton.
Troutman’s unique, hard funk sound stood out for his pioneering use of a sound-altering vocoder, or talk box. The “This Is Pop” auto-tune episode includes vintage footage of Troutman making his musical magic. A scene shows Troutman talk-singing — with the vocoder wiring in his mouth — all the while playing to the camera.
With Zapp and later as the solo act billed as just Roger, Troutman bolstered Dayton’s already well-known funk legacy with hits such as “More Bounce to the Ounce,” “Computer Love” and, later, 1987′s mainstream chart breakthrough “I Want to Be Your Man,” an electro-pop ballad that peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard pop chart in early 1988. In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur’s collaboration with Dr. Dre and Troutman, “California Love,” a hip-hop classic, topped the Billboard pop chart.
Sadly and shockingly, Troutman was shot and killed by his brother and fellow Zapp band member Larry Troutman in a murder-suicide in 1999.
Last year the former Salem Avenue site of Troutman Sound Labs, where Troutman and Zapp recorded their groundbreaking music, was honored with an Ohio historical marker.
“This is Pop” can be streamed on Netflix. Through its eight episodes, the series explores pivotal moments in the history of pop.
About the Author