Fred Simon, a famed R&B singer from the 70s, has sadly passed away at the age of 74. His wife, Diana, announced the news with a heartfelt post on Facebook.
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"It's taken me a minute to be able to write this post,"
Diana wrote. "So with a very heavy heart, my husband Fred Simon, the last original member and one of the founding members of The Lost Generation and New Lost Generation has died."It's worth noting that Diana did not reveal Fred's cause of death. That information has remained private and is unlikely to come out.
The Lost Generation was formed in 1969, with the group hailing from Chicago. Their debut single dropped in 1970, titled "The Sly, The Slick, And The Wicked." It quickly became a hit throughout the United States. Interestingly, the group's debut album also went by the same name.
"It became a staple of Chicago soul and later a favorite for hip-hop sampling," The Express noted.
The group had two more major hits in "Someday," and "Talking The Teenage Language," however, they ultimately disbanded in 1974. Undeterred, Fred continued to create new music, ultimately forming The New Lost Generation. The group released new music for almost five decades.
Fred Simon and the Lost Generation Still Have an Audience Today
Despite their debut single dropping 56 years ago, The Lost Generation still has somewhat of an audience today. According to Spotify, the group secures over 16,000 monthly streams on the platform. The song "This Is The Lost Generation" has over 2 million hits on the platform.
When factoring in other music streaming services, the band is probably closer to 50,000 monthly streams if not more. Spotify is the only platform that publicly lists monthly streaming numbers.
"The Sly, The Slick, And The Wicked," is the second most-listened-to song for the group, pulling in 405,000 listens on the platform all-time. "Give Me Just A Little More Time" rounds out the top three, with 150,000 hits.
Unfortunately, The New Lost Generation doesn't have the same level of longevity on the platform, with just 714 monthly listeners.
Currently, no information regarding Fred's funeral has been released. It will likely remain private, for family and close friends. RIP to another music legend.
