Skip Prokop

Skip Prokop
Birth name Ronald Harry Prokop
Born (1943-12-13)13 December 1943
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Died 30 August 2017(2017-08-30) (aged 73)
St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Genres Rock, jazz fusion
Occupation(s) Drummer, bandleader
Instruments Drums, percussion
Associated acts The Paupers, Lighthouse

Ronald Harry "Skip" Prokop (December 13, 1943[1] – August 30, 2017)[2] was a Canadian drummer and band leader who was a driving force in Canadian rock music, creating seminal bands, including The Paupers.[3] He was also a guitarist and keyboardist.[4] In 1969, Prokop co-founded the rock group Lighthouse with Paul Hoffert. The world’s first 13-piece rock orchestra, it achieved international success as Canada’s leading rock group. Lighthouse was the first group in Canada to be sponsored by a large corporation on a national level.[5]

The Paupers were managed by Albert Grossman. He introduced Prokop to Al Kooper. Grossman asked him to leave The Paupers to play drums with Kooper and Mike Bloomfield for a follow-up recording to Super Session. The result was The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper, a seminal live blues-rock album of the late 1960s. Prior to the founding of Lighthouse, Prokop also played on a number of other sessions, including one with Janis Joplin at RKO Studios following her parting with Big Brother & The Holding Company. This came about because Grossman had asked him to put a new band together for Joplin.[6] He also did sessions with Carlos Santana and Peter, Paul & Mary and other musical artists.[4]

He wrote "I'd Be So Happy", which was recorded by Three Dog Night in 1974 on their album Hard Labor.

Prokop also drummed in a London, Ontario rock/funk/Christian band called Mercy Train, and worked on smooth jazz album with IAM Studios in Brantford, Ontario, released in 2012 titled The Smooth Side Of Skip Prokop.[7]

During the years in which Lighthouse was inactive, Prokop turned towards radio for his career. He was host of CFNY-FM's Rock and a Hard Place program in the Toronto broadcast market. In the early 2000s, he worked for Astral Media radio stations CJBX/CIQM/CJBK in advertising sales.[8] As of 2010, he lived in Aylmer, Ontario. He died on August 30, 2017 at age 73.[9][10][11]

In the mid 1980's Prokop worked for Roland Canada (Musical Instruments), in Mississauga, Ontario, as a product specialist. He participated in several promotional tours with his own Skip Prokop Band while presenting products exclusively made by Roland.

References

  1. ↑ "The Paupers - Garage Hangover". Garagehangover.com. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "Biography: Skip Prokop". Racerecords.ca. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-02-12. Retrieved 2005-12-30.
  4. 1 2 "Skip Prokop, Co-Founder of Canadian Jazz-Rock Group Lighthouse, Dies at 73". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Biography". SkipProkop.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  6. ↑ "Sunny Days Again: An Interview With Skip Prokop of Lighthouse". Gonzoonline.ca. Archived from the original on 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  7. ↑ "IAM Studios". Iamstudios.ca. Archived from the original on 21 April 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Personalities: Skip Prokop". Spiritofradio.ca. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  9. ↑ Legendary Canadian musician “Skip” Prokop dies Durham Radio News, August 30, 2017
  10. ↑ "Skip Prokop: Lighthouse Loses Driving Force". Themusicexpress.ca. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "Skip Prokop, Lighthouse co-founder and drummer, dead at 74". Toronto Star. Retrieved 1 September 2017.


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