Robert Lee "Pops" Popwell (December 29, 1950 – November 27, 2017) was an American

jazz-funk Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat ( groove), electrified sounds, and an early prevalence of analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creat ...

bass guitarist and percussionist.

Career

Known as "Pops", he played with

The Young Rascals ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, The Crusaders and the Macon Rhythm Section. The Young Rascals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame May 6, 1997. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005. He has played on albums by Aretha Franklin,

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

Ron Wood Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...

, Al Jarreau,

Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing gui ...

, Terry Bradds, Larry Carlton,

Joe Sample Joseph Leslie Sample (February 1, 1939 – September 12, 2014) was an American keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, the band which shortened its name to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained ...

, Smokey Robinson, Bette Midler,

Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Br ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, B. B. King,

Les Dudek Les Dudek (born August 2, 1952, at Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, United States) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. In addition to his solo material, Dudek has played guitar with Steve Miller Band, The Dudek-Fin ...

and

Randy Crawford Veronica "Randy" Crawford (born February 18, 1952) is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a solo artist. However, she has ap ...

, among others. Most notably he played percussion on Aretha Franklin's

Rock Steady Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...

. He has also toured with Bette Midler and

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

. Popwell appeared in the movie ''

Hard to Hold ''Hard to Hold'' is the eighth studio album by Rick Springfield released on 23 July 1984, by RCA Records as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The album includes the U.S. Top 5 hit "Love Somebody", Top 40 hits "Don't Walk Away" and "B ...

'' with

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

. Featured in the 1982 ''Olivia Newton-John, Live'' concert video. Co-writer of "Boy Meets World" with Rap star

Erick Sermon Erick Sermon (born November 25, 1968) is an American rapper, musician, and record producer. He is best known as one-third—alongside PMD & DJ Scratch—of 1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for his production work. Career Sermon started prof ...

. Also wrote "Feelin Funky" on The Crusaders album '' Those Southern Knights''. Popwell died in Lebanon, Tennessee, at the age of 66. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Discography

*1969: ''I'm a Loser'' -

Doris Duke Doris Duke (November 22, 1912 – October 28, 1993) was an American billionaire tobacco heiress, philanthropist, art collector, horticulturalist, and socialite. She was often called "the richest girl in the world". Her great wealth, luxurious l ...

*1970: ''Johnny Jenkins'' - Johnny Jenkins *1970: ''

Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer ...

'' -

*1971: ''Liv'' - Livingston Taylor *1972: ''The Island Of Real'' −

The Rascals ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

*1972: ''

Young, Gifted and Black ''Young, Gifted and Black'' is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released in early 1972, by Atlantic Records. The album climbed to #2 on ''Billboards R&B albums survey and peaked at #11 on the main ...

'' - Aretha Franklin *1973: ''In Between Tears'' -

Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...

*1974: ''Southern Comfort'' - The Crusaders *1976: '' Those Southern Knights'' - The Crusaders *1976: ''

Everything Must Change ''Everything Must Change'' is the debut studio album by singer Randy Crawford released in 1976 on the Warner Bros. label. Background It was recorded and mixed at Hollywood Sound Recorders except " I'm Easy" and "I've Never Been To Me", which, a ...

'' -

*1977: ''

Eddie Money Edward Joseph Mahoney (March 21, 1949 – September 13, 2019), known professionally as Eddie Money, was an American singer and songwriter who, in the 1970s and 1980s, had eleven Top 40 songs, including " Baby Hold On", " Two Tickets to Pa ...

'' -

*1977: ''Free As the Wind'' - The Crusaders *1977: ''

Lisa Dal Bello Lisa Dal Bello (born 22 May 1959), also known as Dalbello, is a Canadian musician. She released three albums in the pop and pop/rock genre in her late teens, from 1977 through 1981 under her full name. In 1984, she re-emerged as Dalbello, wit ...

'' -

*1978: ''Images'' - The Crusaders *1978: '' Midnight Believer'' -

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

*1978: ''Letta'' - Letta Mbulu *1979: '' Gimme Some Neck'' -

*1979: ''Praying Spirit'' - Gloster Williams and Master Control *1979: ''

Livin' Inside Your Love ''Livin' Inside Your Love'' is the seventeenth album by jazz guitarist George Benson which was released in 1979. In the United States, it was certified Gold by the RIAA. Track listing Side A # "Livin' Inside Your Love" (Earl Klugh) – 6:37 # " ...

'' -

*1980: ''Strikes Twice'' - Larry Carlton *1981: '' Love Life'' - Brenda Russell *1982: ''Baked potato Superlive!'' - The Greg Mathieson Project *1983: '' No Frills'' - Bette Midler *1990: ''Collection'' - Larry Carlton *2006: ''Sumner Sessions'' - Terry Bradds *2007: ''Master Hands'' - Terry Bradds *2009: ''Touch of Spice'' - Terry Bradds and Nioshi Jackson

References

External links

* *
Robert Popwell
at the Macon Rhythm Section {{DEFAULTSORT:Popwell, Robert 1950 births 2017 deaths American rock bass guitarists American jazz bass guitarists American funk bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American rhythm and blues bass guitarists African-American jazz musicians The Rascals members 20th-century American bass guitarists 20th-century African-American musicians American male jazz musicians The Crusaders members People from Daytona Beach, Florida