Beloved '90s Boy Band LFO Now Has Only One Surviving Member
Three members of the vocal group died under the age of 50.
LFO may be best remembered for their fun and peppy single "Summer Girls," but in the years since their 1999 hit, the band has faced a dark fate. Today, there is only one living member of LFO, after three former members died, all before reaching the age of 50. Most recently, founding member Brian "Brizz" Gillis died on March 29 at the age of 47.
Surviving member Brad Fischetti shared the news of Gillis' passing on Instagram. The 47-year-old singer also regularly posts about his other late bandmates, Rich Cronin and Devin Lima, who died in 2010 and 2018, respectively. Read on to find out what Fischetti shared in light of Gillis' death and to find out more about the band's tragic history.
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LFO came to fame in the late '90s.
LFO was formed in 1995 by members Cronin, Gillis, and Fischetti. Gillis left the band in the late '90s and was replaced by Lima. In 1999, after Gillis' departure, the group's most successful single, "Summer Girls," was released. The group also got a lot of radio play and Total Request Live love with their songs "Girl on TV" and "Every Other Time."
LFO (which stands for Lyte Funkie Ones) released albums in 1999 and 2001 before going on an extended hiatus. They got back together for performances a couple of times over the years, including just prior to Cronin's death in 2009, but never released another album. In 2017, Fischetti and Lima released a song as LFO titled "Perfect 10."
Cronin was diagnosed with leukemia.
In 2005, lead singer Cronin was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia and began undergoing chemotherapy. He was later treated with a stem cell transplant. But, in 2010, five years after being diagnosed, Cronin died from complications related to the diagnosis after suffering a stroke, as reported by CNN. He was 36 years old.
Fischetti spoke about Cronin's death in a 2019 interview with The Morning Call. He said that he'd texted Cronin without response prior to learning that he had passed.
"[I]t's hard to describe what that feeling was like," he said of hearing that Cronin had died. "It's hard to imaging somebody so full of life and so young gone. I think probably the worst thing was just seeing the pain of his family—specifically his mom. For a mother to have to bury a child just isn't right."
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Lima was also diagnosed with cancer.
As reported by E! News, Lima was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal cancer in 2017 soon after the release of his and Fischetti's song "Perfect 10." Due to his illness, Lima had to have a kidney and a large tumor removed. The musician died in 2018 at age 41.
"It is with a truly broken heart that I confirm that Harold 'Devin' Lima passed away early this morning after a valiant battle with cancer," Fischetti shared in a statement to People. "Devin, as the world knows him, was an extraordinary talent, a doting father to his six children, and a loving partner to their mother. He was a beloved son and brother and a friend to so many."
Gillis died at age 47.
On March 29, 2023, Gillis died at age 47. A cause of death has not been reported. Fischetti paid tribute to the band's founding member in a lengthy statement on Instagram.
"The first two chapters of the LFO story lost a main character yesterday. Brian 'Brizz' Gillis passed away," Fischetti wrote, in part. He shared that he didn't have details and that it wouldn't be his place to share them, anyway. "I am really struggling to process this tragic loss," he continued. "I've said it before and I will continue to say it; the LFO Story is a tragedy. If you know what I've been doing, you know I'm trying to bring light into the darkness. Trying find redemption in pain and suffering. Trying to honor the legacy."
Fischetti is honoring his bandmates.
Now, Fischetti is the music director at his church in Florida. He is also married and has five children. In addition to his busy personal life, the singer is keeping LFO's music and the spirit of his bandmates alive. He toured with other turn-of-the-century acts Ryan Cabrera and O-Town in 2019 and still performs today.
"I don't want to go out there and pretend I don't need those guys," Fischetti told Esquire in 2021. "I'd thought about it, prayed about it, discerned it, and the mission of LFO now is to honor Rich and honor Devin. I want to remind people how special they were, and to bring a little joy to the fans who remember 1999 as a simpler time in their life. It's not about fame. I don't desire fame."
