Finger pushing
weather icon 59°F


Grammy-nominated musician John Forté found dead at 50 in Mass. home

NEW YORK — John Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp All-Stars among others, has died at age 50. He was found dead Monday afternoon in his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts, according to police.

Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin said in a statement that there were no signs of foul play or “readily apparent cause of death.” The case is being investigated by the state medical examiner’s office, according to Slavin.

A native of New York City, Forté was a musical prodigy who broke through in his early 20s as a contributor to the Fugees’ Grammy-winning “The Score” and to Wyclef Jean’s Grammy-nominated “The Carnival.”

A multi-instrumentalist and rapper, he also released such solo albums as “Poly Sci” and “I John,” with contributors including Carly Simon, whose son, Ben Taylor, was a close friend of Forté’s.

In 2000, he was arrested at Newark International Airport and charged with possession of liquid cocaine and drug trafficking.

Forté was sentenced to 14 years in prison, but the sentence was commuted after seven years by President George W. Bush. Simon was among many public figures who advocated for his release.

Survivors include his wife, the photographer Lara Fuller, and two children.

Tags Life News

PREV

PREVIOUS

Colorado GOP House leader emphasizes parental rights, affordability woes

The new Republican leader of the House emphasized worries about affordability, rising political violence, and parental rights in a speech to his colleagues on Wednesday. Rep. Jarvis Caldwell, who was selected to replace former Minority Leader Rose Pugliese following her resignation in the fall, began his speech by saying he was going to do something […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Minutes to Memories: John Mellencamp rolling out jukebox of his old hits

Not every musician has the pull to announce a concert tour with a trailer that stars Sean Penn. John Mellencamp does. The 74-year-old rocker revealed Wednesday that he’ll embark on a 19-date run of U.S. amphitheaters this summer. The theme of “Dancing Words Tour — The Greatest Hits” is as the name suggests, Mellencamp’s most […]


Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests