Just days after the death of yet another LFO member, former vocalist Brad Fischetti is breaking his silence on the “death curse” that continues to plague the band.
ICYMI, at the end of last month Brad took to Instagram to reveal Brian ‘Brizz’ Gillis, a founding member of the pop group, had passed away. In his caption, he wrote about the loss of Brizz — and even addressed the band’s tragic story:
“Every story is made up of chapters. Some develop naturally. Some you have to cut up in your mind. The first two chapters of the LFO story lost a main character yesterday. Brian ‘Brizz’ Gillis passed away. I don’t have details and it wouldn’t be my place to share them if I did. I am really struggling to process this tragic loss. 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 find redemption in pain and suffering. Trying to honor the legacy.”
The other two members of LFO, aka Lyte Funkie Ones, Rich Cronin and Devin Lima, were also mentioned in the 47-year-old’s memorial post. Sadly, Brian is the third member of the group to die young. Rich passed away in 2010 at 36 due to leukemia and Devin died in 2018 — at just 41 years old — after a bout with adrenal cancer. So, so sad.
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For years fans have whispered the band has some sort of a curse due to the tragedies surrounding them — and for the first time ever the sole surviving member of the band is addressing those theories.
While speaking with TMZ on Sunday, Brad said he hopes there’s nothing to it, but it’s spooky:
“Is there a LFO curse? I hope not … I hope I get to live a long life. I don’t think we’ll quite understand why this happened. Maybe until we reach the next life. There’s so much in this world that we cannot possibly grasp.”
He did go on to note, however, he agrees it’s “weird” how so many people not just in the band — but connected to the band — have tragically died young:
“Kelly Schweinsberg, who was the person who ran Logic Records under BMG in 1998 for us, who was the only reason why we got where we went, she died young. Our keyboard player died young. Our choreographer is dead. Lou Pearlman is dead. A producer we worked with is dead.”
Whoa… it definitely starts to look like a curse when it’s all laid out like that!
Brad admitted he really doesn’t understand why LFO turned out this way, nor does he understand why his bandmates were the ones who died and he wasn’t. These have to be tough issues to grapple with:
“These are people that are in my prayers everyday. I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that I try to do my best to stay strong in my faith and try my best to do God’s will and try to be a light in the darkness … I have no idea why this thing has happened to LFO. Maybe I’m supposed to tell a story. Maybe I’m supposed to be there to help other people. But then you say, well, why you? Why do you get to live? You know? Why you? Why did Devin have to die? And why do all his kids have to attend his funeral? Why did Rich have to die? Why do his parents have to mourn every single day? Why not you?”
Regardless of all the loss he’s experienced, he says he feels like it’s his responsibility to keep his friends’ legacy alive — and he’s doing so by continuing to tour and make music in their honor:
“I don’t have the slightest idea, but I take it as a great responsibility to carry on the legacy.”
So much tragedy and heartache follows this band, we’re sending so much love and light to Brad and anyone affected by these great losses.
What do U think about the “death curse,” Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below).
[Image via Arista Records/YouTube]