Founding member of the R&B group The Whispers Gordy Harmon died Thursday, January 5 at his Los Angeles home, reports his family. The jazz and soul musician was 79 and was believed to have passed due to natural causes.

The Whispers were formed in the LA area in the early 1960’s. They got their name from the owner of a small record label in Hollywood, who suggested is as a reflection of their soft singing style. The group’s founding members met in Watts, California where they lived in the Jordan Downs housing project. Twins Wallace and Walter Scott joined up with Harmon, Marcus Hutson and Nicholas Caldwell to form the band.

The band peaked in the 1980’s with hits “And the Beat Goes On” and “Rock Steady,” both hitting number 1 on the R&B charts. Their earlier singles include “The Time Will Come” in 1969 and “Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong” in 1970. They went on to issue several albums that made the R&B charts, including “The Whispers’ Love Story” and “Life and Breath.”

Harmon left the group after an injury to his larynx in 1973. (abc7)