{"id":56134,"date":"2026-06-01T16:38:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T16:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=56134"},"modified":"2026-06-01T16:38:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T16:38:52","slug":"i-held-him-as-the-music-faded-soraya-lapread-details-the-1-brutal-medical-event-that-stole-75-year-old-ronald-lapread-from-us-after-40-peaceful-years-in-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=56134","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI Held Him As The Music Faded.\u201d \u2014 Soraya LaPread Details The 1 Brutal Medical Event That Stole 75-Year-Old Ronald LaPread From Us After 40 Peaceful Years In New Zealand."},"content":{"rendered":"

Soraya LaPread has shared the heartbreaking news that her father, Ronald LaPread, legendary bassist of the Commodores, has passed away at the age of 75.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an emotional Instagram message, Soraya wrote, \u201cIt is with a very heavy heart that I must announce that my Father Ronald LaPread has passed,\u201d revealing the deep grief surrounding his sudden death in Auckland, New Zealand.<\/span><\/p>\n

For many fans, Ronald LaPread will always be remembered as the musician whose bass helped shape the sound of the Commodores. His work became part of a powerful musical legacy, tied to unforgettable songs such as \u201cMachine Gun\u201d and \u201cNightshift.\u201d Yet away from the bright lights of fame, LaPread had spent around 40 years living a quieter life in New Zealand.<\/span><\/p>\n

His move to Auckland marked a major shift from the chaos and pressure of international stardom. There, he built a peaceful private world, far from the constant attention that followed the Motown era. According to Soraya\u2019s tribute, music never left him. Even in his quieter years, his home studio remained a sacred place where his creativity continued.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soraya\u2019s message painted a deeply personal picture of a father, not just a music icon. Her grief stripped away the glamour often attached to legendary performers and showed the painful reality of losing someone beloved in a sudden medical emergency.<\/span><\/p>\n

The image of Soraya embracing her father before his passing has moved many fans, who responded with sorrow and gratitude for the music he gave the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ronald LaPread\u2019s legacy stretches far beyond the stage. He was part of a generation of musicians who helped define funk, soul, and R&B for millions. His basslines carried rhythm, emotion, and identity, becoming part of the soundtrack of countless lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though he chose peace over fame in his later years, his impact never faded. To fans, he was a Commodores legend. To Soraya, he was simply her father \u2014 a man whose love, music, and presence shaped her life.<\/span><\/p>\n

His passing marks the end of a quiet final chapter, but not the end of his influence. Ronald LaPread\u2019s music will continue to speak, even now that the man behind the bass has fallen silent.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soraya LaPread has shared the heartbreaking news that her father, Ronald LaPread, legendary bassist of the Commodores, has passed away at the age of 75. In an emotional Instagram message, Soraya wrote, \u201cIt is with a very heavy heart that I must announce that my Father Ronald LaPread has passed,\u201d revealing the deep grief surrounding…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56134"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56152,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56134\/revisions\/56152"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/56147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}