Ohio Players were an American funk band that achieved widespread popularity during the 1970s. They are known for their singles "Funky Worm", "Skin Tight", "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster", as well as the albums "Skin Tight", "Fire" and "Honey", which received Gold certification. The band was also noted for their album artwork, which frequently featured images of nude or partially nude women, some of whom were models who had appeared in Playboy. On August 17, 2013, Ohio Players were inducted into the inaugural class of the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio. The group's origins date back to 1959 in Dayton, Ohio, when they initially formed as the Ohio Untouchables. The original lineup included Robert Ward (vocals and guitar), Marshall "Rock" Jones (bass), Clarence "Satch" Satchell (saxophone and guitar), Cornelius Johnson (drums), and Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks (trumpet and trombone). At that time, they served primarily as a backing band for The Falcons. After internal conflicts led to a temporary breakup in 1964, the group re-formed with Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner on guitar and Greg Webster on drums, eventually adopting the name Ohio Players by 1967. Additional members at that time included singers Bobby Lee Fears, Dutch Robinson, and Helena Ferguson Kilpatrick. After disbanding in 1970, the group re-formed with a lineup including Bonner, Satchell, Middlebrooks, Jones, Webster, trumpeter Bruce Napier, vocalist Charles Dale Allen, trombonist Marvin Pierce, and vocalist/keyboardist Walter "Junie" Morrison. They achieved their first chart success with the single "Pain" (1971) on the Westbound label. During this period, they worked with George Clinton and developed their distinctive album art style. Their single "Funky Worm" reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart and number fifteen on the Hot 100 in 1973, selling over one million copies and earning a Gold certification. Ohio Players signed with Mercury Records in 1974, with line-up changes including keyboardist Billy Beck replacing Morrison and drummer Jimmy "Diamond" Williams replacing Webster. Later additions included guitarist/vocalist Clarence "Chet" Willis and conguero Robert "Kuumba" Jones. The band had seven top 40 hits between 1973 and 1976, including "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster", both reaching number one on the R&B and pop charts and receiving Gold certification. Their final major hit was "Who'd She Coo?" in 1976, which also reached the UK Singles Chart. In 1979, three members formed the band Shadow, while Ohio Players continued recording through the 1980s, releasing the albums "Tenderness", "Ouch!" and "Graduation", and achieving a minor hit with "Sweat" (1988). A compilation, "Orgasm", was released in 1993. Their 1973 track "Ecstasy" was later sampled by Jay-Z on "Brooklyn's Finest" from the 1996 album "Reasonable Doubt". By 2017, original members including Billy Beck, Jimmy "Diamond" Williams, Clarence "Chet" Willis, and Robert "Kuumba" Jones were still performing. The band's contributions to funk and R&B were recognised with their induction into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 2013. Studio albums Observations in Time (1969) Pain (1972) Pleasure (1972) Ecstasy (1973) Skin Tight (1974) Fire (1974) Honey (1975) Contradiction (1976) Angel (1977) Mr. Mean (1977) Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee (1978) Everybody Up (1979) Tenderness (1981) Ouch! (1981) Graduation (1984) Back (1988)
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