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Walter Scott Jr., Founding Member of R&B Group The Whispers, Dies at 81 from Cancer

Walter Scott Jr., a founding member of the R&B group The Whispers, has died from cancer at age 81, PEOPLE can confirm. The Whispers is known for hits like "And the Beat Goes on" and "Rock Steady."

According to the Los Angeles Sentinel, the musician died on Thursday, June 26, six months after being diagnosed with cancer. His family later relocated to Los Angeles, and while living there in 1963, he and his brother, Wallace Scott, formed the R&B quintet The Whispers with Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson and Gordy Harmon. The band is now known for hits like “And the Beat Goes on,” which topped the charts, plus “Lady,” “It’s a Love Thing” and "Rock Steady."

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