He was a musician, member of american funk band Zapp. The original line-up of the band consisted of four brothers—Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman and Terry Troutman—and non-Troutman family members Bobby Glover, Gregory Jackson, Sherman Fleetwood, Jerome Derrickson, Eddie Barber and Jannetta Boyce. The group received attention in the early 1980s for implementing heavy use of the talk-box, which became one of their most well known characteristics.