John Edwards, the former lead singer of The Spinners and the last surviving member of the iconic group, has passed away, reports SoulTracks. He was 80.
Confirming Edwards’ passing, the Spinners’ Facebook page paid tribute to his significant accomplishments with the group.
“We mourn the loss of John Edwards, who bore the weight of the world on his young shoulders when he joined The Spinners in the wake of Phillippe Wynne’s departure,” The Spinners Facebook page read. “He proved more than capable of bearing the burden, ensuring that the excellence the fans came to associate with The Spinners would continue uninterrupted.
“John Edwards is an integral part of The Spinners’ legacy, and we will continue to celebrate his contributions to this mighty legacy,” the post continued.
Born on December 25, 1944, in St. Edwards grew up surrounded by music and became a professional singer while serving in the US Army in Germany. When he returned to the States, he recorded several singles. Eventually, Edwards had several recordings on the Cotillion label with “Baby, Hold On to Me” (1976) and “Nobody, But You” (1977).
At age 33, he accepted the offer of a lifetime by joining The Spinners as one of the lead singers following the departure of the charismatic Philipe Wynne in 1977.
As co- lead singer with dynamic, powerful tenor voice, Edwards sang on some of the group’s biggest hit including “Working My Way Back to You”, which peaked at number 2 on the Hot 100 in early 1980, and on “Cupid”, which hit No. 4 on both the US and UK Pop Charts, and No. 5 on the US R&B Chart.
During his tenure with the group, the Spinners won a Grammy for “Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal” for their song “Nightshift” and was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
Edwards continued with the Spinners until 2000, after suffering a debilitating stroke, which led to his retirement.
In 2023, Edwards and Henry Fambrough (Who passed away in 2024) were on hand as the last two surviving members as the Spinners were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
We at WBLS extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the family and friends of John Edwards.