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New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Walter Scott Jr., founding member of R&B group ‘The Whispers,' dead at 81 after cancer battle
Walter Scott Jr., a founding member of the iconic R&B group The Whispers, died after his six-month-long battle with cancer on Thursday. He was 81 years old. Scott was surrounded by his loved ones in Northridge, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, when he died, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel. Advertisement Walter Scott Jr. co-founded The Whispers in 1963. The Whispers' Music / Facebook The legendary group's former publicist, Desirae Lee Benson-Brockington, mourned the trailblazing musician, declaring Scott's 'legacy will continue to live on.' 'Walter was more than a performer — he was part of a movement that brought soul, harmony, and timeless love songs to generations,' Benson-Brockington wrote. 'His legacy will continue to live on through every note, every lyric, and every fan he touched.' Advertisement Benson-Brockington started working with the group in 2020, decades after the artists formed their influential style. 'Watching him perform was a masterclass in grace and soul — but knowing him personally was the real gift,' Benson-Brockingson added. 'We'll miss his warm presence, his wisdom, and the way he made everyone feel like they mattered. Rest well, Walter. Your voice lives on, and so does your legacy.' The 'And the Beat Goes On' singer was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but moved to Los Angeles in 1959. Scott formed The Whispers during high school in 1963 alongside his identical twin brother, Wallace 'Scotty,' Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson and Gordy Harmon, according to Billboard. Advertisement 'We'll miss his warm presence, his wisdom, and the way he made everyone feel like they mattered,' former publicist, Desirae Lee Benson-Brockington wrote on Facebook. Desirae Lee Benson-Brockington / Facebook Scott's music career was put on hold after he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, but he returned to the group in 1969, the same year the group's first album, 'Planets of Life, was released. The musicians got their first taste of success in 1970 when their track 'Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong' cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard R&B charts. The Whispers maintained a steady presence on the Billboard R&B charts through the 70s with tracks like 'One for the Money (Part 1),' 'Make It With You,' and '(Let's Go) All the Way.' Advertisement One of the group's most well-known hits, 'And the Beat Goes On,' debuted in 1979 and they received their first – and only – Grammy nomination in 1987 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group with their single 'Rock Steady.' The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003 and released over two dozen albums. Scott is survived by his wife, Jan, two sons, three grandchildren and his twin brother, who is the last founding member of the R&B group still alive.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Walter Scott of R&B group the Whispers dies at 81
Walter Scott, who with his twin brother Wallace founded the Los Angeles-based R&B group the Whispers — a hit-making force in the 1970s and '80s with songs like 'And the Beat Goes On,' 'Rock Steady,' 'Lady' and 'Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong' — died Thursday, according to multiple media outlets, including Billboard and the Los Angeles Sentinel. He was 81. The Sentinel reported that Scott's family said he died in Northridge after a six-month bout with cancer. With a smooth, danceable sound built on sturdy post-disco rhythms and carefully arranged group vocals, the Whispers put 15 songs inside the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B chart; 'And the Beat Goes On' reached No. 1 in 1980, followed by 'Rock Steady,' which topped the tally in 1987. The band's music was widely sampled in later years, including by 50 Cent, Mobb Deep, J. Cole and Will Smith, the last of whom used 'And the Beat Goes On' as the basis for his late-'90s hit 'Miami.' In a post on Instagram, the musician and filmmaker Questlove described Scott as 'one of the most trusted voices in '70s soul music' and compared him to 'the talented uncle in the family….who btw could DUST you inna min w his dizzying blink & you lost him squiggle gee doo dweedy scatlibs.' Scott was born in 1944 in Fort Worth, Texas, and later moved to L.A. with his family; he and his brother started singing as students at Jordan High School, according to the Sentinel, and formed the Whispers in the mid-'60s with Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson and Gordy Harmon. The group spent time in San Francisco before Scott was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. The group recorded for a series of record companies but found its biggest success on Dick Griffey's Solar label. The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Billboard said Scott is survived by his wife, Jan; two sons; three grandchildren and his brother.
