Boy band fans devastated after 90s group wiped out - with survivor's tribute
LFO may not have hit the heights of fame like 'NSYNC or Backstreet Boys, but back in the day their track Summer Girls had every teen humming along. The hopeful boy band shot their cheery music video at New York's Coney Island amusement park's beach and pier back in 1999. Litttle did they know of the horrific fate that awaited, bringing LFO to an end as three of its four members died.
Yet an astonishing 26 years later, the band's sole survivor is performing again in memory of the friends he lost. Brad Fischetti, now 49, has been singing with The LFO Story, recently wowing crowds in Celebration, Florida, with a special gig.
Formed in 1995 after Brad and Rich Cronin connected with Brian 'Brizz' Gillis in New Bedford, Massachusetts, LFO struggled initially. Their fortunes turned when Brizz departed in 1999, and Devin Lima's joining led to their chart-topping success, with Summer Girls reaching No 1 in the US and No 16 on the UK Official Singles Chart.
LFO's song was packed full of 80s and 90s references including Cherry Coke, actors Macaulay Culkin, Kevin Bacon and Michael J. Fox, their fellow boy band New Kids On The Block, and even Abercrombie & Fitch.
The band seemed destined for stardom as they clinched the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favourite Group of the Year in 2000, performed over 230 gigs – including opening for pop sensation Britney Spears – and even unleashed their own line of dolls in 2001. However, the fickle tides of music trends meant they had a disappointing second album, prompting them to part ways in 2002.
Rich Cronin then faced a fierce battle with leukaemia but emerged victorious post-treatment, expressing gratitude for his charmed life in showbiz: "I am truly thankful for the success I had," and adding wistfully, "And if it happens again, that'd be really nice. I'm just that same guy writing pop songs to make people happy. And I still only like girls in Abercrombie and Fitch."
In an inspiring turn, LFO got back together in 2009, hitting the road with their music. But all was not well, as Rich's health waned again, with his band mates rallying round him reminiscent of UK sensation The Wanted's support for Tom Parker amidst his own cancer battle.
Reflecting on their renewed bond in the shadow of adversity, Brad shared in 2010, "He was so happy. We really became soulmates. Devin and I both realised how much we loved him, despite the differences we had in the past." Despite Rich's valiant battle with his illness, he tragically passed away in Boston in September 2010 at the age of 36.
Seven years later, in July 2017, Brad and Devin released a fresh LFO track – their first in a whopping 15 years. They vowed to continue their musical journey and always remember Rich. Yet just three months on, more heartbreaking news arrived. This time it was Devin who received a devastating blow.
He discovered he had an extremely rare form of cancer and nderwent surgery to remove a tumour the size of a football from his stomach, as well as one of his kidneys. Before his hospital admission, Devin said that he didn't believe it was a type of cancer and simply wanted it removed from his body.
Although his surgery appeared successful, a year later, Devin sadly succumbed to his illness at 41 years old, leaving behind his girlfriend and six children.
And in another shocking turn of events, original LFO member Brizz also passed away in March 2023, at just 48. His family did not disclose the cause of his death.
Posting on Instagram earlier this month, Brad Fischetti honoured his bandmates after his LFO Story gig, saying: "We honored the boys in a big way. The LFO Story show last week was beautiful and epic. Thank you for the love and support. Big thanks to the all of who made it possible and to @celebration.foundation for hosting us. The biggest thanks to Rich and Devin for leaving a beautiful legacy behind. We will nurture it and honor you for as long as the people will allow us to."
Fans have been swift to post their broken-hearted responses, with one saying: "Devin and Rich are there in spirit and are proud of you @thereallfo. Thank you to Trevor for helping to honor Devin and Rich," while another commented: "Those guys are extremely missed." A third simply said: ""We miss u Rich & Devin."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Dark side of 90s pop from crack addiction to boozy brawls and sex for money revealed
One star ended up smoking crack in a skip with a homeless woman when the lights go out when the lights go out Dark side of 90s pop from crack addiction to boozy brawls and sex for money revealed THE 90s may have been the decade that brought us Brit pop, but it was also the time when pop music had a huge resurgence. After the Stock, Aitken and Waterman-led assault on the charts in the mid to late 80s, pop music fell to the wayside somewhat in the early part of the next decade. Advertisement 8 The 90s saw a resurgence of pop music Credit: Alamy 8 Boybands like Backstreet Boys reigned supreme Credit: EPA 8 911 had 10 top 10 hits during their career Credit: Andrew Barr - The Sun Glasgow But soon, the likes of Take That, Spice Girls, Steps and S Club 7 brought the genre back to life. While young fans adored the upbeat, smiling and colourful pop stars - many complete with dance routines they could copy - behind the facade, it was often a much darker story. While a number of female pop stars from that time have spoken about their struggles with eating disorders and body image at the height of their fame, for their male counterparts, their demons often presented themselves in substance abuse. Indeed, for every Reach for the Stars or Bodyshakin' hit, there's a dark story to be told. Advertisement Here are five male pop stars who have bravely spoken out over the years about the struggles they faced after finding fame. Jon Lee - S Club 7 8 S Club 7's Jon Lee had an addiction to crystal meth in the years after the band split Credit: Nic Serpell-Rand / Channel 4 S Club 7 burst onto the music scene in 1998 with their own TV series, Miami 7, followed by catchy debut single Bring It All Back. They went on to sell 10 million albums worldwide and win two Brit Awards. Advertisement However, Jon, 43, recently revealed he was blowing £250 a week on crystal meth and then trashing his flat with a hammer while out of it. In fact, his habit was so bad it nearly killed him and even saw him sectioned back in 2019. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jon revealed that he got into crystal meth - a highly addictive 'party' drug that can cause psychosis, hallucination, paranoia and mania - when he was in his thirties - long after S Club had gone their separate ways. I was a Noughties popstar who couldn't go 20mins without a drink - now I'm sober with a new career He revealed: "I didn't even recognise myself at that time. Sometimes, in the midst of one of the psychotic episodes where I'd be smashing my flat up with a hammer, I'd catch sight of myself in the mirror and say: 'What the f***?'. Advertisement "I'd have a moment of lucidity, thinking: 'I was a successful young man, I had a brilliant career, incredible life. What am I doing?' "I'd be standing there, holes in the walls around me, cuts all over my knuckles, my eye swollen from where I'd been punching myself in the head. I'd shaved my hair too. I didn't look anything like Jon-from-S Club – or what people would expect Jon-from-S Club to look like." Kavana 8 Teen heartthrob Kavana has released a memoir detailing his drug and alcohol addiction Credit: Getty Kavana - real name Anthony Kavanagh - became a teen heartthrob in the late 90s aged 16. Advertisement The star had hits including I Can Make You Feel Good and Special Kind of Something, but his squeaky clean image was soon replaced by a drug and alcohol addiction that left him homeless. With an army of young, female fans, Anthony was forced to hide his sexuality and started to use alcohol "as a comfort". The singer has revealed all about his battles in a new memoir, Pop Scars, including how he ended up smoking crack in a skip in Hackney with a homeless woman he had just met. He also recounts a moment he woke up in another stranger's flat, having realised he had been paid for sex. Advertisement He told The Guardian: "Alcohol was the start and the end. I would never have taken drugs without alcohol. But yeah, I was like a loose cannon for some of those times, got myself into some situations.' AJ McLean - Backstreet Boys 8 AJ McLean battled addiction for 20 years before finally finding a way to stay sober Credit: The Mega Agency The Backstreet Boys became one of the biggest boybands worldwide in the 90s thanks to hit songs including I Want it That Way and Everybody (Backstreet's Back). The five piece - consisting of AJ, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough - have sold over 130 million records worldwide. Advertisement But despite their huge success, AJ, 47, hid a dark secret from fans and his bandmates. AJ battled a drug and alcohol addiction for two decades, and revealed that when he was at rock bottom, he was "never sober, not for a second". But his bandmates staged an intervention and he went to rehab, but it wouldn't be the only time. Having previously described himself as a "chronic relapser", he told Fox News Digital. "I don't have another relapse in me. It will not end the lucky way it has ended in the past when I've dodged bullets and never went to jail, never got a DUI. Advertisement "I'm pretty sure the last time I did drugs, there was fentanyl in there. I'm still here talking to you. I've dodged more bullets than I'd like to." Jimmy Constable - 911 8 911's Jimmy Constable said being trapped in hotel rooms due to the band's fame lead to him raiding the mini bar as his alcohol addiction took hold Credit: BBC Another UK boyband that was big in the 90s was the trio 911, consisting of Jimmy, Lee Brennan and Spike Dawbarn. During their five-year career, they had 10 Top 10 hits including Bodyshakin', Party People and Night to Remember. Advertisement But last year - following the tragic death of One Direction star Liam Payne - Jimmy opened up about his addiction to pills and booze. He told The Sun: "The problem was, the best way to secure us was to lock us in our rooms, and what is in the room? A mini-bar. "So I had a party-for-one that seemed to carry on for years. It was wild but the only way you could get frustration out." Due to the constant pressures from their record company, Jimmy descended into alcoholism, infamously appearing drunk on SM:TV Live - the Saturday morning kids' show hosted by Ant and Dec and Cat Deeley. Advertisement After the band split in 2000, Jimmy sought solace in drink, downing 10-12 bottles of wine every day with his then-girlfriend. "I felt it was easy just to drink all day, and then when the drink didn't numb it anymore, I turned to the drugs.' Thankfully, Jimmy has overcome his demons and is now a paramedic. Ritchie Neville - 5ive 8 5ive's Ritchie Neville was arrested in Dublin after a fight and when the band split, he started to drink too much Credit: BBC Advertisement Known as the bad boys of pop, 5ive were signed by Simon Cowell in 1997. They had a meteoric rise to face and topped the charts with hits including If Ya Gettin' Down, Keep on Movin' and Everybody Get Up. But as with other boybands, the pressure of their hectic schedule, being swarmed by fans and press and still being so young was a melting pot of disaster waiting to happen. In 2000, Ritchie, 45, and bandmate J Brown, 49, were arrested in Dublin after getting into a fight with a man who had said Irish boyband Westlife were better than 5ive. Advertisement When the band imploded in the early Noughties, Ritchie spiralled. He told The Sun's TV Mag: "After the band, you know, I hit an epic low. "I just didn't know what I wanted to do. I was completely emotionally and spiritually lost. "So I did drink way more than I should for a few years there. I drank to forget." Advertisement
Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Gwyneth Paltrow told pals Brad Pitt is 'dumber than a sack of s***', new book claims
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt met while filming for David Fincher's Se7en, with the two falling head over heels for each other A new book about Gwyneth Paltrow's life as a Hollywood actress has claimed the Marvel star thought ex-fiancé Brad Pitt was 'dumber than a sack of s**t'. The duo met each other while filming for David Fincher's iconic movie, Se7en, in 1994 and quickly fell head over heels for each other. Brad popped the question in 1996 but their relationship soon crumbled and they split not long after. Gwyneth and Brad have no bad blood with each other, and the View From The Top actress even admitted her father, Bruce Paltrow, was "devastated" when they went their separate ways. Speaking to Howard Stern in 2015, she said: "He was so gorgeous and sweet. I mean, he was Brad Pitt!" She also explained: "My father loved him like a son. I was such a kid. "I was 22 when we met. It's taken me until 40 to get my head out of my ass. You can't make that decision when you're 22 years old. I wasn't ready, and he was too good for me." In 1998, a year after his split from Gwyneth, Brad started dating Jennifer Aniston. The two, who married in 2000, became Hollywood's "it" couple before their divorce in 2005. When a reporter asked Gwyneth how she felt about him marrying Jennifer, she answered: "Are you really asking me this question? I can't comment on this kind of thing." However, in Amy Odell's new book Gwyneth, it was claimed she told friends she was upset when she learned about the marriage. Gwyneth was said to have told friends that Brad had "terrible taste in women". A few years after her split from Brad, she became the face of Estee Lauder and formed a friendship with the founder's daughter, Aerin Lauder. According to the book, she told Aerin during a dinner: "He's dumber than a sack of s***." In 2020, Gwyneth told Harper's Bazaar she didn't have 'any really bad blood' with any of her ex partners, adding: 'I'm friendly with Brad Pitt.' She and Brad even did an interview together in 2022, where they discussed his involvement with her Goop product, God's True Cashmere. 'I finally found the Brad I was supposed to marry. It just took me 20 years,' she joked while referring to her husband, Brad Falchuk. Brad discussed his happiness for Gwyneth and told her: "It's lovely to have you as a friend now … and I do love you," before she answered: "I love you so much."
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Scotsman
The 19 most wanted dance releases on vinyl, according to Discogs
With the second weekend of Tomorrowland 2025 this week and our very own Creamfields taking place next month, now seems the apt time to have a peruse through Discogs once again, only this time taking a look at some of the lucrative vinyl releases from the world of dance and EDM that users of the website and online marketplace are seeking. While some are household names, others might pique your attention to give them a listen – certainly, your plants might be keen on listening to at least one item in our round-up of 19. I myself am probably going to look up some of the more 'obscure' titles that people are seeking. We've included the year of release and, if possible, the catalogue number of the specific release in question – failing that, we've included the barcode instead so you can verify if indeed the copy you have in your hand is the one that people are seeking on Discogs. The only question then is: if you do have one, do you dare part with it? 1 . LFO – LFO (WAP 5, 1990) A foundational track in the history of UK electronic music, LFO's self-titled single LFO is wanted by 7,138 Discogs users, cementing its legendary status. Released in 1990 as one of the very first offerings on Warp Records label, this track by the Leeds duo pioneered the distinctive "bleep and bass" sound. LFO is renowned for its devastatingly deep sub-bass and relentless rhythmic drive, becoming a massive club anthem. The original 12-inch with its iconic purple sleeve is a highly sought-after collector's item, representing a pivotal moment in the evolution of techno and IDM. 🔍 7138 | Getty Images/Discogs Photo Sales 2 . Mort Garson – Mother Earth's Plantasia (H-101, 1976) A true cult classic with a charmingly eccentric concept, Mort Garson's Mother Earth's Plantasia is wanted by 7,198 Discogs users, making it a surprisingly popular entry on this list. Released in 1976, this album of whimsical electronic compositions was famously "warm earth music for plants... and the people who love them," originally available only with a houseplant or mattress purchase. Composed entirely on a Moog synthesizer, its surprisingly intricate and melodic arrangements predated ambient music, with original pressings now highly coveted pieces of musical oddity and electronic history. 🔍 7198 | Sacred Bones/Discogs Photo Sales 3 . Nujabes – Metaphorical Music (HOLP-002, 2018) A cornerstone of the lo-fi hip-hop and instrumental jazz-hip-hop genres, Nujabes' debut album, Metaphorical Music, is a highly coveted vinyl, with 7,267 Discogs users eagerly wanting this limited edition reissue. Originally released in 2003, this album introduced the world to the Tokyo-born producer's unique fusion of intricate jazz samples, soulful melodies, and laid-back hip-hop beats. Its mellow yet intricate production, combined with its profound emotional depth, has cultivated a dedicated global following, ensuring the persistent demand for Nujabes' work on vinyl. 🔍 7267 | Instagram/Discogs Photo Sales 4 . C418 – Minecraft Volume Alpha (GI-243 LP, 2015) Perhaps one of the most surprising entries on a "most wanted" dance vinyl list, C418's Minecraft Volume Alpha commands the attention of 7,442 Discogs users. Released in 2015 by Ghostly International, this vinyl brought the iconic soundtrack of the world-dominating video game Minecraft to a physical format. Daniel Rosenfeld crafted a uniquely minimalist, ambient, and melancholic score that became synonymous with the game's expansive world, making this limited edition green translucent vinyl a highly coveted item for gamers and ambient music enthusiasts alike. 🔍 7442 | Bandcamp/Discogs Photo Sales Related topics: BoostMusicDanceVinylAlbums
