Walter Scott Jnr., who was a founding member of The Whispers, has died at the age of 81.
The R&B legend had been diagnosed with cancer six months ago.
He died on Thursday in Northridge, California, and was surrounded by his family.
Scott was a founding member of The Whispers, who released hit songs such as And the Beat Goes On in 1980, and Rock Steady in 1987.
The group was known for their vocals and they charted 15 top 10 R&B hits over the course of their career.
In more recent years, the quintet's music was sampled by contemporary hip-hop artists, including 50 Cent, J. Cole and Will Smith.
Born in Texas in 1944, Scott later moved to Los Angeles with his family. It was there that he and his brother Wallace formed The Whispers with Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson and Gordy Harmon in 1963.
Scott left briefly to serve in the Vietnam War, but returned to the group in 1969.
The band had their breakthrough hit in 1970 with Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong. They performed together until the 2000s, and 2014 they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
Scott is survived by his wife, Jan, two sons, three grandchildren and his brother Wallace "Scotty" Scott.
