Delfonics co-founder William 'Poogie' Hart dead at 77
Fox News
Delfonics lead singer William 'Poogie' Hart dead at 77 after experiencing complications during surgery.
From the late 1960s to the mid 1970s, the Delfonics had six top 40 pop hits and more than a dozen top 20 R&B hits. With Thom Bell serving as producer and co-writer, their sound was defined by the rich orchestral arrangements and layered harmonies — Hart at times rising to a falsetto — that made Philadelphia soul as essential to the '70s as Detroit's Motown label had been in the previous decade.
The Delfonics, whose other songs included "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love)" and "Break Your Promise," were among the first successes in a wave of Philadelphia vocal groups that included the Spinners, the O'Jays and the Stylistics. Their songs remained known well after they stopped having hits. The Delfonics were heard on soundtracks for movies by Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee and were covered by Prince, Aretha Franklin and other artists. Nicki Minaj, the Fugees and many other performers sampled them.