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Photo by: Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer

Co-founder of the 1970s and 1980s funk band The Gap Band, Ronnie Wilson, has died at 73 years old.

Wilson’s wife, Linda Boulware-Wilson, confirmed the singer’s death to TMZ Tuesday, Nov. 2nd at approximately 10 am. The Outstanding singer died in his Tulsa, Oklahoma, after suffering a stroke last week. After the recent stroke, the singer fell into a semi-coma.

Boulware-Wilson took to Facebook to inform fans of the news “The love of my life was called home this morning, at 10:01 am. Please continue to pray for The Wilson, Boulware, and Collins family, while we mourn his passing,” the widow says. “Ronnie Wilson was a genius with creating, producing, and playing the flugelhorn, Trumpet, keyboards, and singing music, from childhood to his early seventies. He will be truly missed!!!”

 

The late “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” singer formed The Gap Band in the late 1960s with his younger brothers, Charlie and Robert Wilson. Hailing from Tulsa, the group was originally called The Greenwood Archer Pine Street Band as a tribute to the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Photo by: Afro Newspaper/Gado / Contributor

The band became widely popular within the genre of R&B and Funk throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

As the news reached fans, several tribute posts begin to pour in.

One fan took to Twitter and wrote “One of my all-time favorite bands. He was an amazing musician. May he rest in peace.”

Another fan wrote “Feel like someone just ‘dropped a bomb on me’ with this news. Ronnie was ‘outstanding. RIP”

The band was reportedly sampled over 150 times by several artists.

Charlie Wilson, also known as “Uncle Charlie,” is the last surviving member. Robert Wilson suffered a heart attack and died in his California home in 2010. He was 53 years old.

Charlie has yet to make a public statement.