06/04/2026
Motown Museum joins the musical community in mourning the passing of two icons - Commodores member Ronald LaPread and James Anthony Carmichael, a prolific Motown arranger / producer. Both LaPread and Carmichael helped craft the consistent hitmaking sound of the legendary Motown group.
When founding Commodores bassist Michael Gilbert was drafted into the army, Lionel Richie and Thomas McClary asked Ronald LaPread if he had any recommendations for a new bass player. LaPread told them he would join on bass, learning how to play the instrument by ear as he began working with the band and earning songwriting credits on multiple Commodores releases. After touring as the opening act for The Jackson 5 and signing with Motown, the Commodores were soon paired with James Anthony Carmichael, a Motown arranger / producer who also worked with artists including the Jackson 5, Supremes, Temptations, Miracles, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and Marvin Gaye.
Carmichael, dubbed “The Preacher” for leading sessions while decked out in a full three-piece suit, helped both the Commodores as a band and Lionel Richie as a solo artist create countless hit singles and albums. With LaPread, the Commodores scored 17 Top-40 hits, including the #1 Pop hits “Three Times A Lady” and “Still.” They topped the R&B charts seven times with classics such as “Easy,” “Too Hot Ta Trot,” and “Nightshift.” In 1985, Carmichael and Richie won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) for Richie’s certified-diamond album Can’t Slow Down , containing the classic #1 hit “All Night Long (All Night).”
LaPread remained proud of the music the Commodores made together. Speaking with journalist Scott Goldfine of Truth In Rhythm, he expressed his musical love for his bandmates. “I like to play bass with those people, I like that, I want to do that,” he said. “I would do it anywhere in the world, free of charge. I wouldn’t ask for anything.” Motown Museum continues to celebrate the Commodores’ indelible contribution to the Motown legacy, and our thoughts are with James Anthony Carmichael and Ronald LaPread’s family, friends, fans, and musical collaborators.
