Wayne Lewis death: Atlantic Starr singer dies, aged 68
Atlantic Starr singer Wayne Lewis has died at the age of 68, his bandmates have confirmed.
In a post shared on the group's official Facebook page and Instagram account, the R&B band revealed that Lewis died on 5 June.
'It's with great sadness we have to post the passing of Wayne Lewis on June 5, 2025,' they wrote.
'Please keep the family in your prayers and respect their privacy.'
A cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Lewis was a founding member of Atlantic Starr, playing keyboards and providing vocals. His fellow bandmates included his brothers David and Jonathan Lewis.
The group formed in New York in the late Seventies and originally performed under the name Newban, which they later changed at the request of record executive Herb Alpert.
They went on to find success on the R&B charts before achieving crossover fame thanks to singles such as 'Secret Lovers', 'Always' and 'Masterpiece'.
The group went through various line-up changes over the years, with the most recent iteration seeing Wayne perform alongside his brother Jonathan with their nephew Shammah Carter and singer Melessa Pierce.
The band had a string of performance dates planned for the summer, including gigs at the Capital Jazz Festival in Maryland and at Philadelphia's Dell Music Centre.
Fans shared messages of condolences on social media, with one supporter writing: 'I am truly saddened to learn of this! My condolences to the Lewis family, and all of his loved ones. It is an honor to be a fan, and his music will live on. May he rest peacefully.'
'Wow, I'm devastated,' another fan said. 'The smoothest brother to hold the mic, vocal talents in a league of his own RIP my brother, you'll live on forever through your recordings and in the hearts of your fans.'
'Thank you for the music you gave us,' a third fan wrote. 'Thank you for sharing your gift to the world. RIP.'
R&B group Rose Royce, who were fixtures on the same music scene as Atlantic Starr, also paid tribute, writing: 'Rose Royce was so sad to see this post, our deepest condolences to the family & Atlantic Starr. May he RIP.'
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