Wayne Lewis, a founding member of R&B group Atlantic Starr, died Thursday, June 5. He was 68.
His dying was confirmed by the band. “It’s with nice unhappiness we have now to publish the passing of Wayne Lewis on June 5, 2025,” the group posted on their official Fb web page Friday. “Please maintain the household in your prayers and respect there privateness #waynelewis #restinpeace #flyhigh Dawn 4/13/1957 Sundown 6/5/2025 #restinpeaceWayne.”
Wayne Lewis, who served as a lead vocalist and keyboardist, and his brothers lead vocalist-guitarist David and trombonist-percussionist Jonathan fashioned the group in White Plains, New York within the late Seventies. The early core members included singer Sharon Bryant, trumpeter William Sudderth, saxophonist Damon Rentie (Koran Daniels changed Rentie in 1981), bassist Clifford Archer, drummer Porter Carroll Jr., and percussionist-flutist Joseph Phillips. Wayne and David Lewis are credited with writing many of their songs.
The band signed with A&M and launched their self-titled debut album in 1978 that includes “Stand Up,” which hit Quantity 16 on the R&B singles chart, and so they dropped their sophomore LP the following 12 months with Straight to the Level. Bryant led a pair of hits from their subsequent albums, “When Love Calls” from 1981’s Radiant and the Quantity Two-charting “Circles” from 1982’s Brilliance. She scored one other one with “Contact a 4 Leaf Clover” from 1983’s Yours Perpetually earlier than leaving to pursue a solo profession, with Barbara Weathers changing her.
Their sixth album, 1985’s Because the Band Turns, discovered the group pared all the way down to a quintet and likewise introduced them their breakout hit “Secret Lovers,” written and produced by Wayne and David Lewis. The one reached Quantity Three on the Billboard Scorching 100 and Quantity One on the Grownup Modern chart.
They adopted up with one other smash hit “Always,” which seems on 1987’s All within the Identify of Love. The music topped the pop and R&B charts. Their most up-to-date album, Metamorphosis, arrived in 2017.
Together with Wayne Lewis, the group’s present lineup included Jonathan Lewis, and Melessa Pierce and Shammah Carter.
