BREAKING NEWS Walter Scott Jr. dies at 81: R&B legend from The Whispers passes away after cancer battle
Walter Scott Jr. died at the age of 81 on Thursday, June 26 after a battle with cancer.
The R&B legend was famous for being one of the founding members of the vocal group The Whispers, releasing hits such as And the Beat Goes On in 1979 and Rock Steady in 1987.
According to multiple media outlets, including Billboard and the Los Angeles Sentinel, he died six months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
He was in Northridge, California, surrounded by his family at the time of his passing.
Scott was one of the original founding members of the iconic vocal group The Whispers, who cemented their place in R&B history after 15 of their songs landed in the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B chart over the years.
Their greatest hits, And the Beat Goes On, topped the chart in 1980, while Rock Steady also reached No. 1 status in 1987.
The R&B legend was famous for being one of the founding members of the vocal group The Whispers, releasing hits such as And the Beat Goes On in 1979 and Rock Steady in 1987. He died six months after he was diagnosed with cancer
Scott was born in Texas in 1944, but his family later relocated to Los Angeles in his early years.
While living there in 1963, he and his brother, Wallace Scott, decided to form an R&B quintet together called The Whispers alongside Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson and Gordy Harmon.
Scott eventually went on hiatus from the group when he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, but he rejoined them in 1969.
The Whispers also landed eight of their R&B records on the Top 10 R&B albums chart.
They continued performing throughout the 2000s, and in 2014, The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
Hutson died in 2000, while Caldwell and Harmon died in 2016 and 2023, respectively.
According to Billboard, Scott is survived by his wife Jan and their two sons, three grandchildren and his brother.
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