Brian “Brizz” Gillis, an original member of LFO, has died.
Gillis had been a third of the boy band since its inception in 1995 before leaving the group in 1998. His death was confirmed by an Instagram post from former bandmate Brad Fischetti, in which he explained that the singer passed away on Wednesday.
“Every story is made up of chapters,” Fischetti wrote alongside a picture of Gillis, who Extra reports was in his late 40s at the time of his death. “Some develop naturally. Some you have to cut up in your mind. In the first two chapters of the LFO story, a main character got lost yesterday. Brian ‘Brizz’ Gillis passed away.”
Fischetti continued, “I don’t have any details, and it wouldn’t be my job to share them if I did. I’m really struggling to process this tragic loss. I have said it before and I will continue to say it; The LFO story is a tragedy. If you know what I’ve done, you know I’m trying to shed light on the darkness. I try to find release from pain and suffering. I try to honor the legacy.
Devon Lima, Rich Cronin and Brad Fischetti of LFO in 2001. Kevin Kane/WireImage
Gillis’ death comes five years after bandmate David Lima died aged 41 after undergoing surgery to remove a football-sized tumor caused by stage four adrenal cancer. In 2010, the band’s founder, Rich Cronin, died of leukemia at the age of 36.
“I know Brizz will be welcomed by Rich and Devin soon or maybe already,” Fischetti added in his post Thursday. “And I hope they’ll make some cute noises together. I would really like that.”
Fischetti added in his tribute to Gillis that without Gillis “hard work and dedication in the early days of the LFO, the first two chapters, the LFO you came to know, and (hopefully) love, wouldn’t exist”.
Brian “Brizz” Gillis. Rick Diamond/WireImage
Fischetti also addressed his relationship with Gillis, expressing that it contained “moments of great sadness but also great joy.”
“I learned a lot from him about the music business and how to put a show together and rock it. And it’s on those positive aspects of our relationship that I will draw on now and forever,” Fischetti wrote. “I have prayed for Brian every day for many years. And I will continue to pray for him, for his beloved father, for his friends, his family and those who loved him.”
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Before Gillis’ departure, the band released two notable singles in 1997, including “(Sex U Up) The Way You Like It” and the New Kids on the Block cover “Step by Step”. After success in the late 1990s with singles such as 1999’s Summer Girls, the band split in 2002.