Gordy Harmon, a founding member of the R&B group The Whispers, has died. Harmon’s family confirmed to ABC 7 that the beloved jazz and soul musician died in his sleep at his Los Angeles home on Thursday, Jan. 5. He was 79. Although Harmon’s cause of death remains unknown, his family, who confirmed he was not suffering from any serious illnesses, said they believe he died of natural causes.
Along with his twin brothers Wallace and Walter Scott, Marcus Hutson, and Nicholas Caldwell, Harmon founded The Whispers in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1964. The group chose the name for the band after the owner of a small record label in Hollywood suggested The Whispers reflected their soft vocal styling, according to Vibe. During his time with the group, The Whispers released three albums – The Whispers’ Love Story, Planets of Life, and Life and Breath. Released in 1962, The Whispers’ Love Story climbed to No. 34 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and featured Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charting singles “Can’t Help But Love You” (No. 35), “I Only Meant to Wet My Feet” (No. 27), “Your Love Is So Doggone Good” (No. 19) and “There’s a Love for Everyone” (No. 31), per Billboard.
Harmon’s time with The Whispers came to an end in 1973 when he left the group after suffering an injury to his larynx, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel. The was replaced by Leaveil Degree. The group went on to release “And the Beat Goes On,” which became the band’s first No. 1 single, in 1979, as well as the hit single “Rock Steady” in 1987.
In 2005, the group was presented with the Governors Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed by an Academy chapter, by the San Francisco chapter of the Grammy Awards. In 2014, The Whispers were inducted into the R&B Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Two years later, in 2016, the group received the Soul Music Hall of Fame Award.
News of Harmon’s passing struck the music world and his fans, with an outpouring of tributes quickly flooding social media. On Twitter, one person wrote, “Omfg I just heard them on the [RnB Money Podcast] last week. RIP OG.” Another person tweeted, “May King Gordy Harmon Rest in Heaven.”
