Filed under: News, Obituaries
Mark Adams, an original member of one of the hottest funk bands of the 70s and 80s, Slave, passed away Saturday and the cause of death has not been revealed.
The group was formed in Dayton, Ohio by Steve Washington in 1975 and their popularity spanned nearly a decade.
The large member band consisted of Adams, Floyd Miller, Tom Lockett, Jr., Charlie Bradley, Tim Dozier, Mark Hicks, Danny Webster, and Orion Wilhoite. Vocalists Steve Arrington and Starleana Young, along with Raye Turner and Curt Jones joined the group's ranks later in 1978.
The mega group's first off-the-charts hit was "Slide" which put the group on the map in 1977. Slave's successful sound relied heavily on bass with an emphasis on the rhythm section which was then complimented by soaring vocals.
Slave had a succession of hits from about 1977 until 1984 with such memorable hits such as "Just a Touch of Love," "Watching You" (which is still a party favorite to this day), and "Snap Shot."
The early eighties brought turbulent times for the group, as several members left and were replaced by others. Four core members departed Slave to form their own group called Aurra in 1981. Arrington also left Slave to go out on his own solo career and had much notoriety with such funk classic hits as "Nobody Can Be You But You" and "Way Out."
Adams remained a constant throughout the years even through member and recording company changes.
Slave's most recent release, "Stellar Fungk: The Best of Slave Featuring Steve Arrington", was issued back in 1994 and was a compilation of the group's greatest hits.
RIP Mark...