Ronnie Wilson, who founded The Gap Band with his brothers Charlie Wilson and Robert Wilson, has died. He was 73. His wife Linda Boulware-Wilson confirmed the news in a Facebook post, writing, "The love of my life was called home this morning, at 10:01am. Please continue to pray for The Wilson, Boulware, and Collins family, while we mourn his passing. 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 Gap Band formed in 1974 and released several successful R&B, funk, and soul albums throughout the '70s and '80s, including such iconic hits as "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)," "You Dropped A Bomb On Me," "Outstanding," "Yearning for Your Love," "Early In The Morning," and more. They've remained highly influential since then, and have been prominently sampled on several major hip hop songs over the years. Recently, Dave Grohl spoke about The Gap Band's influence on his drumming on "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Rest in peace, Ronnie.