William "Poogie" Hart, lead singer of the Delfonics, dies at 77

William “Poogie” Hart, a Grammy Award-winning artist and lead singer of the R&B group the Delfonics, died on Thursday, July 14, 2022, after surgery complications, his son confirmed to TMZ and other news outlets. He was 77.

Hart was taken to Temple University hospital due to breathing issues, Hadi, his son, told TMZ.

“May Allah be pleased with my brother,” his brother and fellow group member Wilbert Hart said in an online tribute.

The group was founded in Philadelphia by William and Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain in the late 1960s. The group also included Daniels and Thom Bell.

The group’s hit songs were primarily written, composed and produced by William Hart and can be heard on the soundtracks of films such as Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown,” starring Robert DeNiro and Samuel L. Jackson, and popular television series, most recently HBO’s “Euphoria,” starring Zendaya.

Hart wrote “La-La (Means I Love You),” which reached the Top 10 on charts across the country in 1968. The song ultimately made it to the airwaves throughout Europe and in England, making the Delfonics international stars.

In 1971, the group won a Grammy Award for “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” for best R&B performance by a duo or group.

After recording 12 Top-20 singles on Billboard’s R&B and Soul Single Chart, the original iteration of the band broke up in 1975.

Until the beginning of this year, when he fell ill, Hart continued to tour with the group. He was in talks to tour Las Vegas.

“He was my friend … he was my brother, and a very talented individual,” Kenny Gamble of Philadelphia International Records said in a tribute. “I pray that the good Lord blesses him and his family because not only was he a great singer and a performer, he was also a very spiritual man. Rest in power, my friend.”

He is survived by his wife, Pamela Hart; sons, Al Hadi, Yusuf Ali, and William (Champ) Romance; 11 grandchildren; and other family members and friends.