(April 9, 2026) They are funk legends, and now The Ohio Players are unexpected social media stars. The Band from Dayton, Ohio recently posted a clip from a 1974performance on the weekly music concert program Midnight Special, and it has become a surprise viral hit, topping one million views.
One of the funkiest groups in the funkiest decade, the Ohio Players became the template for a generation of Midwest jamming groups.
Formed in music hotbed of Dayton in 1959 as the Ohio Untouchables, the group initially included members Robert Ward (vocals/guitar), Marshall “Rock” Jones (bass), Clarence “Satch” Satchell (saxophone/guitar), Cornelius Johnson (drums), and Ralph “Pee Wee” Middlebrooks (trumpet/trombone). When Ward, the group leader, broke the act up in the early 60s, the remaining members reformed with additions Gary Webster (drums) and the auspicious young guitarist, Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner, and later added trumpeter Bruce Napier, trombonist Marvin Pierce, and keyboardist Walter “Junie” Morrison.
The Ohio Players signed with the Detroit-based Westbound label in 1971 and began a string of three successful albums, each punctuated by a loose, funky sound and erotic album covers that brought added attention. They hit with the single “Pain,” and became an R&B staple. However, upon their signing with with Mercury Records in 1974 and the addition of keyboardist Billy Beck and drummer James “Diamond” Williams, they reached new heights.
This lineup created a series of memorable songs and albums over the remainder of the decade, including “Funky Worm,” “Fire,” “Skin Tight,” “Who’d She Coo,” and their biggest hit, “Love Rollercoaster.” The Ohio Players were perhaps the biggest R&B band in the world by 1976.
Death has taken members of the group over the years. Satchell and Middlebrooks died in the 90s, Sugarfoot Bonner passed of cancer in 2013, and Jones, the last of the original Ohio Untouchables, died in 2016.
The current version of the Ohio Players is led by Diamond Williams, and continues to perform. Now a younger generation scrolling on phones is learning about funk greatness, and what all the fuss was about a half century ago…and that’s a good thing.
By Chris Rizik
