William "Poogie" Hart, popularly known for being the founding member of The Delfonics has tragically passed away at the age of 77.
According to Pitchfork, the singer had difficulty breathing, leading his family members to take him to the University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, he died on Thursday due to complications from surgery. As of this writing, his family never confirmed what type of medical condition he had.
Initially, Hart was a part of the band called the Orphonics, he founded the group with his brother, Wilbert "Wil" Hart, and friends from school Randy Cain and Richie Daniels.
His career skyrocketed when he met writer-producer Thom Bell through Stan Watson, also known as a singer of the Del-Vikings. He later became the Delphonics' manager.
Bell became a significant part of the band's career as he arranged and produced their first song titled "He Don't Really Love You" and other early releases like "You've Been Untrue," "La-La (Means I Love You)," and more.
The latter song had a successful chart run as it peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Pop Charts. It was also featured in the 1997 movie "Jackie Brown" by Quentin Tarantino.
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Aside from that, the movie's soundtrack also featured the band's "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)."
During the 1971 Grammy Awards, the band snagged the title of Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.
The Delfonics officially parted ways in 1975, but its members, Wilbert, William, Major Harris, and Randy Cain, went on with their solo careers.
Harris' song "Love Won't Let Me Wait" became successful as it managed to enter the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974.
On the other hand, Hart continued to perform with his bandmates throughout the 80s.
During the 1990s, their music became a staple in samples as many musicians used their songs for their tracks.
Their song "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)" was sampled by The Fugees on "Ready or Not."
Other notable singers who sampled their catalog were Missy Eliott for "Sock It 2 Me" and many more.
Later in the band's career, producer Adrian Younge collaborated with Hart for the album "Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics" which featured a completely new sound combined with their classics.
Younge took to Instagram to react to Hart's death, writing, "The simple things you turned into masterpieces man. I can go on and on but thank you for everything."
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