The Original Slave Ft. Thomas Lockett and Floyd Miller

Second-generation Dayton funk stars The Original Slave formed in Ohio in 1976 around a nucleus of guitarist Mark Hicks, singer and brass man Floyd Miller, bassist Mark Adams, guitarist and singer Danny Webster, and trumpeter Steve Washington, the nephew of pioneering Ohio Players trumpeter Ralph “Pee Wee” Middlebrooks.

Early on, Floyd came to a band meeting wearing a t-shirt with the word “Slave” on one side and “Master” on the other. Washington, whose family had direct ties to Frederick Douglass and the abolitionist movement, embraced a concept that transformed the term into a message of responsibility and purpose: that everyone carries a responsibility to help make the world a better place. The band’s contribution would be to uplift people through music with healing, meaning, and connection. They called their higher-plane sound not simply funk, but “Fungk” with a “g,” alluding to a spiritual, God-inspired element.

The Original Slave exploded onto the scene with its 1977 debut single, “Slide,” making overnight sensations of guitarist Mark “Drac” Hicks, who earned his nickname through vocal improvisations on the track, and bassist “Mr. Mark” Adams. Both were still teenagers, yet already demonstrating extraordinary musical talent.

By the group’s third album, the ever-evolving collective had added two powerful new voices: vocalist Starleana Young, just 16 years old at the time, and Steve Arrington. Arrington began as a percussionist but quickly emerged as one of the defining voices of Slave, bringing an organic vocal style influenced as much by jazz saxophonist John Coltrane and blues-rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix as by traditional singers.

Today, The Original Slave Ft. Thomas Lockett and Floyd Miller continues to celebrate and perform the timeless music that made Slave one of the most influential funk bands to emerge from Dayton’s rich musical legacy. Audiences can expect the classic grooves, infectious energy, and enduring hits that helped define an era of funk music while honoring the band’s lasting impact on generations of fans.