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LFO | |
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| Also known as | Lyte Funkie Ones |
| Origin | New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Website | www |
LFO (an acronym forLyte Funkie Ones) is an Americanpop andhip hop band formed inNew Bedford, Massachusetts in 1995. The band’s lineup consists of Brad Fischetti,Rich Cronin, and Brian "Brizz" Gillis.[1] In 1998, Gillis left the group and was replaced by Harold "Devin" Lima.[2] After Cronin’s death in 2010, the group disbanded; but briefly reunited with Fischetti and Lima as a duo in 2017 before Lima's death a year later.
LFO's single "Summer Girls" reached number 3 on theBillboardHot 100, and the band had sold over four million records worldwide.
In 1995,New Bedford, Massachusetts,Rich Cronin and Brad Fischetti met Brian "Brizz" Gillis. LFO had marginal success with the remake of theYvonne Elliman song "If I Can't Have You", which missed theTop 40, reaching No. 54 on theUK Singles Chart.[3] In 1997, they released a cover of the 1990New Kids on the Block hit "Step By Step" as a single. In 1999, Gillis left the group to pursue a solo career. Gillis died of undisclosed causes on March 29, 2023, at age 48.[4]
They appeared onThe Amanda Show as guest stars, singing a song whileAmanda Bynes danced in the background with the show's signature "dancing lobsters". At the end, LFO described Amanda as "the most beautiful girl in the world".
In the summer of 2001, the group released their sophomore and final album,Life Is Good, with the release of only two singles, "Life Is Good" and "Every Other Time", which was the only commercial release from the album.
After lackluster record sales of the album and the late-1990s/early-2000s boyband trend nearing its end, LFO parted ways in February 2002. Brad Fischetti recalled years later that the band didn't initially end on good terms. "When we walked out of the room in 2002, it was like a weight was lifted off of our shoulders."[5]
In an attempt to form a pop group without it being labeled as aboy band, Cronin founded Bad Mood Mike in 2003.[citation needed] The project failed, as it never produced an album, and ended after a few months. Cronin was later in a group called Loose Cannons, with Doug Ray. He was also part of the TV showMission: Man Band, which aired onVH1.
In March 2005, Cronin sought treatment for constant headaches, and was diagnosed with leukemia. He underwent chemotherapy in Boston, and by January 2006, his leukemia was in remission. In 2008, Cronin launched his first solo studio album, entitledBillion Dollar Sound.
Lima released his first solo track back in 2006, it being a cover of theSly & the Family Stone song “If You Want Me to Stay” for the tribute albumDifferent Strokes by Different Folks. This led to him performing as part of a tribute toSly Stone, on the2006 Grammy Awards, alongsideSteven Tyler andJoe Perry ofAerosmith,Maroon 5,Joss Stone,John Legend andwill.i.am.[6]
Lima formed a new band, The Cadbury Diesel, and released their debut record,Mozart Popart, in July 2008. Cadbury Diesel performed a song entitled "Rocky Road" for the filmAmerican Pie Presents Beta House (2007).[7] Lima later performed music under the alias Live From Orlando.[8][9]
Brad Fischetti has since become an anti-abortion activist. During a 2012 religious group protest he was live tweeting from outside an abortion clinic. Included in his tweets were the doctor's name, and an apparent quote from a nurse claiming financial motives for the services offered there. In a statement toE! News, Fischetti denied harassing any women outside the clinic, but adamantly stood by his views and said he regrets not speaking out more when LFO was at the height of its fame.[10] He is also the music director for a church.[11]
On June 3, 2009, LFO posted a blog entitled "LFO is Back" on their unofficialMySpace page which announced that they had reunited and were going on the Malcolm Douglas Tribute tour beginning September 23, 2009, withRookie of the Year, Go Crash Audio, and Kiernan McMullan.[12] A new song, titled "Summer of My Life," was also announced in association with the reunion.[13]
However, the reunion was short-lived as Cronin died at theBrigham and Women's Hospital inBoston, Massachusetts at the age of 36 on September 8, 2010, after suffering fromleukemia.[14][15] On September 28, 2009, LFO announced through their YouTube page LFOVIDEOS that they had permanently disbanded.[16] The remaining two members of the band planned to continue making music with their various side projects.[17]
In late 2013, Lima formed a group with electronic artists DJ Shakka and Ayj as The Mack Pack, releasing two singles in 2014. The group later changed its name to Rogue Cherry with the addition of Alexandra Foster and produced a posthumous album, Harold Lima: Rockwell.
In July 2017, LFO released their first new song after 15 years and the only song as a duo and without Cronin, titled "Perfect 10". It featured then-surviving members Lima and Fischetti. On the reunion, Fischetti toldEntertainment Weekly that "We're sincerely thankful and excited to have the opportunity to create new music and tour again. We miss the presence of our late great brother bandmate Rich Cronin. We will do our best to make him proud, carry on his legacy, and to usher LFO into the future."[18]
In October 2017, Devin Lima was diagnosed with stage fouradrenal cancer and had one kidney removed. The news was confirmed by Fischetti.[19] Lima died of his cancer on November 21, 2018, at age 41.[2][20][21][22]
The final living member, Brad Fischetti, began touring with pop groupO-Town in a series of dates during the Y2K tour. He performed LFO songs in memory of Cronin and Lima, and vowed to keep the LFO legacy alive.[23]
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK [3] | |||
| 1999 | LFO
| 21 | 62 | |
| 2001 | Life Is Good
| 75 | — | |
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [24] | AUS [25] | CAN | GER | NZ | UK [3] | |||
| 1997 | "(Sex U Up) The Way You Like It" | —[A] | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "Step by Step" | — | — | — | — | 79 | — | ||
| 1998 | "Can't Have You"(featuring Kayo) | 70 | — | — | — | — | 54 | LFO |
| 1999 | "Summer Girls" | 3 | 71 | 18 | 56 | 14 | 16 | |
| "Girl on TV" | 10 | — | 39 | 80 | — | 6 | ||
| 2000 | "I Don't Wanna Kiss You Goodnight" | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "West Side Story" | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | "Every Other Time" | 44 | — | — | 98 | 18 | 24 | Life is Good |
| 2002 | "Life Is Good" (featuringM.O.P.) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2017 | "Perfect 10" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| Year | Title | Director(s) | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "(Sex U up) The Way You Like It" | None | Debut single |
| "Step by Step" | Unknown | Cover version of song by boy bandNew Kids On The Block | |
| 1998 | "Can't Have You"(feat.Kayo) | Unknown | Yvonne Elliman cover version. Features the Swedish singer Kayo. Final music video to feature Brian Gillis. |
| 1999 | "Summer Girls" | Marcus Raboy | First music video to feature Devin Lima. |
| "Girl on TV" | Gregory Dark | Features a guest appearance byRich Cronin's then-girlfriend and actressJennifer Love Hewitt | |
| 2000 | "I Don't Wanna Kiss You Goodnight" | Gregory Dark | |
| "West Side Story" | None | ||
| 2001 | "Every Other Time" | Marcus Raboy | |
| 2002 | "Life Is Good" | Unknown |
...Gus is joined by Brad Fischetti, Corpus Christi music director...
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