Gillis’ former bandmate Brad Fischetti confirmed the news in an Instagram tribute post shared Thursday. The cause of death has not been revealed.
Gillis, along with Fischetti and the late Rich Cronin, founded the boy band LFO (Lyte Funky Ones), famous for the pop-rap hit “Summer Girls” in Massachusetts in 1995. By the late 1990s, all the kids knew the words and sang along when they heard the lyric “I like girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch, I’d take her if I had one wish.” In 1999, the single that made them famous hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart.
“Every story is made up of chapters. Some develop naturally. Some you have to cut up in your mind,” Fischetti captioned the photo of Gillis he shared on Instagram. “The first two chapters of the LFO story lost a main character yesterday. Brian ‘Brizz’ Gillis passed away.”
Fischetti, 47, told fans that he wasn’t aware of the details surrounding Gillis’ death, and that if he did know exactly what happened, it wouldn’t be his place to share the information with the public.
“I am really struggling to process this tragic loss,” he continued. “I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it; the LFO Story is a tragedy. If you know what I’ve been doing, you know I’m trying to bring light into the darkness. Trying [to] find redemption in pain and suffering. Trying to honor the legacy.”
Gillis is now the band’s third member to die. Cronin died of a stroke in 2010 after battling leukemia; he was 36. Devin Lima, who joined LFO when Gillis left the band in 1999 to pursue a solo career, died of cancer in 2018; he was 41. Fischetti is the only remaining member.
“Today I honor my former bandmate and friend, Brizz,” Fischetti continued on Instagram. “If you watched the LFO Story livestream or have seen the band and me play it live, you know what Brian meant to LFO. If it wasn’t for his hard work and dedication in the early days of LFO, the first two chapters, the LFO you came to know and (hopefully) love would not exist.”
Fischetti then hinted that the two hadn’t always had a perfect friendship, saying, “My relationship with Brian was complex. It contained moments of great tribulation but also of great joy. I learned a lot from him about the business of music and how to put together and rock a show. And it’s those positive aspects of our relationship that I will lean on now and forever.”
“I’ve prayed for Brian every day for many years,” he continued. “I know that soon or maybe already, Brizz will be greeted by Rich and Devin. And I hope that together, they will make some sweet sounds. I would really like that. Rest east bro. Rest easy.”