John Warren Geils Jr., the founder of the rock group The J. Geils Band which became famous for songs such as “Centerfold” and “Freeze Frame,” has died in Massachusetts, police say. He was 71 years old.
Geils was found unresponsive after officers were called to his home on Graniteville Road in the town of Groton, about 31 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Boston, for a well-being check. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The Groton Police Department is investigating the death, as is standard procedure in all unattended deaths, however foul play is not suspected at this time,” the department said in a statement. “A preliminary investigation indicates that Geils died of natural causes.”
Geils founded The J. Geils Band along with Danny Klein (Dr. Funk) and Richard Salwitz (Magic Dick) in the mid-1960s, but they spent their first years performing the opening acts for other artists, after which they slowly became more successful as they released their first albums.
Their biggest success came in the 1980s: first with the album “Love Stinks,” which reached number 18 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and then with the album “Freeze Frame,” which not only included the song “Freeze Frame” but also “Centerfold,” which became an international hit.
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