A founding member of the American boy band LFO, Brian “Brizz” Gillis, has died at 47 years old.
The group was formed in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1995 and released their debut self-titled album in 1999 with the hit song "Summer Girls" pushing the group into heavy rotation on music video channels like MTV, and on radio.
The group, whose name stands for "Lyte Funkie Ones," went on to achieve modest success for a time with members Brad Fischetti, Rich Cronin and Gillis.
Cronin later died in 2010 from a stroke while battling leukemia in his mid-thirties.
Fischetti wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday about the death of Gillis that read, "I am really struggling to process this tragic loss. I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it. The LFO Story is a tragedy. If you know what I’ve been doing, you know I’m trying to bring light into the darkness. Trying find redemption in pain and suffering. Trying to honor the legacy."
No cause of death was given as Fischetti wrote that he was still without details and said he felt it wouldn't be his place to reveal them if he did.
Gillis left the group in the late 1990s and was replaced by Devon Lima. One more album was released in 2001 called "Life is Good."
In 2017 Fischetti and Lima released the song "Perfect 10" before Lima died of adrenal cancerthe next year at 41.
