Brian “Brizz” Gillis, one of the founding members of ’90s group LFO, died Wednesday.
His former bandmate Brad Fischetti announced the sad news via LFO’s official Facebook page on Thursday.
Gillis was reportedly in his late 40s.
“Every story is made up of chapters. Some develop naturally. Some you have to cut up in your mind,” Fischetti penned.
“The first two chapters of the LFO story lost a main character yesterday. Brian ‘Brizz’ Gillis passed away.”
Fischetti, 47, told fans he does not “have details” about what led to his friend’s passing and acknowledged it “wouldn’t be [his] place to share them if [he] did,” adding, “I am really struggling to process this tragic loss.”
Fischetti admitted that his relationship with Gillis, who left the boy band a few years after its 1995 inception, was “complex.”
“It contained moments of great tribulation but also of great joy,” he wrote, saying he “learned a lot from [Gillis] about the business of music and how to put together and rock a show.”
Fischetti went on to emphasize “what Brian meant to LFO,” explaining, “If it wasn’t for his hard work and dedication in the early days of LFO, the first two chapters, the LFO you came to know and (hopefully) love would not exist.”
He also said he’s “prayed for Brian every day for many years” and “will continue to pray for him.”
Gillis’ death marks the group’s third loss, as the other original member, Rich Cronin, died in 2010, a week shy of his 36th birthday after a long battle with leukemia.
The trio formed LFO, which stands for Lyte Funkie Ones. After Gillis left to pursue a solo career, Devin Lima stepped in as his replacement.
In 1999, the band released a platinum-selling, self-titled album that included some of Gillis’ vocals and featured the group’s biggest hit, “Summer Girls.”
But in November 2018, Lima died at the age of 41 after battling stage 4 adrenal cancer.
LFO has disbanded and reunited a handful of times over the years, with Cronin’s and Lima’s deaths being significant contributing factors.
“I know that soon or maybe already, Brizz will be greeted by Rich and Devin,” Fischetti concluded his post. “And I hope that together, they will make some sweet sounds. I would really like that.
“Rest east bro. Rest easy.”