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William Hart (singer)

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William Hart
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Alexander Hart
Born(1945-01-17)January 17, 1945
Washington D.C., U.S.
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJuly 14, 2022(2022-07-14) (aged 77)
Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenresSoul
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocals
Years active1964–2022
Formerly ofThe Delfonics

William Alexander "Poogie" Hart[1] (January 17, 1945[2] – July 14, 2022) was an American soul singer, and lead singer for The Delfonics, which also included his younger brother Wilbert Hart.[3] Noted for his falsetto singing voice,[4] Hart was the lead singer for the original Delfonics from 1965 to 1975, and the lead singer for his own version of the Delfonics group until 2022.

Biography

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William Hart was born in Washington, D.C.,[1][5] one of eight children to Wilson and Iretha Hart. The Hart family moved to Philadelphia a few months after William's birth.[1] He and younger brother Wilbert attended Overbrook High School, where both brothers were in different high schools.[6] Some of Hart's earlier groups include Little Hart and The Everglows, the Veltones, the Four Guys, and the Four Gents, all groups consisting of Hart's Overbrook friends, one of these groups including Randy Cain.[7]

In 1964, William, Wilbert, and Randy formed The Orphonics. A year later, they changed the name to The Delfonics. Some of the group's hits on the Billboard R&B and pop charts included "La-La - (Means I Love You)", "Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)", and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)".[8] The soul trio won a Grammy in 1971.[9][10] His nickname, Poogie,[11] was given to Hart by his father.[1]

In 1975, the original Delfonics disbanded, and the Hart brothers led their own versions. The two got into legal disputes that lasted almost a decade. A 1998 lawsuit showed that Wilbert had infringed William's trademark on the name.[12] A 2007 court agreement decided that both brothers could use the name, just as long as the difference between two groups was obviously noted.[13]

In 1996, he sang backing vocals on Ghostface Killah's Ironman.[14] Hart worked with Major Harris (who was Cain's replacement in the Delfonics), and Frank Washington (who sang for The Spinners from 2003 to 2007) to record the album "Forever New".[15] In 2007, Hart, Russell Thompkins Jr. of The Stylistics, and Ted Mills of Blue Magic released the album "Three Tenors of Soul".[2][16] In 2013, Hart and Adrian Younge collaborated for the album Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics.[17]

Hart died at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia on July 14, 2022.[2][3] He was 77.[3] Hart died from complications from surgery. He had been transmitted to Temple Hospital after experiencing troubles breathing.[18] He was survived by his two brothers, two sisters, three children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "William Hart: defined Philadelphia sound of the 1960s and '70s". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  2. ^ a b c "William 'Poogie' Hart, Grammy-winning Delfonics singer, dies at 77". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  3. ^ a b c Unterberger, Andrew (2022-07-15). "William Hart, Delfonics Lead Singer and Songwriter, Dies at 77". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  4. ^ Aswad, Jem (2022-07-15). "Delfonics Lead Singer William 'Poogie' Hart Dies at 77". Variety. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  5. ^ "Delfonics lead singer William 'Poogie' Hart dead at 77". The Independent. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  6. ^ "Quick Thoughts on the Delfonics UnSung". riquespeaks. 2013-11-26. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  7. ^ "Introduction to the Delfonics | Mental Itch". 2015-01-16. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  8. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (2009-04-25). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ "13th Annual GRAMMY Awards | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  10. ^ Chase's, Editors of (2019-09-24). Chase's Calendar of Events 2020: The Ultimate Go-to Guide for Special Days, Weeks and Months. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-64143-316-7. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ Evans, Greg (2022-07-15). "William "Poogie" Hart Dies: Lead Singer Of Hit-Making '70s Group The Delfonics Was 77". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  12. ^ "Hart v. Hart, 18 MS 0302 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  13. ^ "The Delfonics Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mo..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  14. ^ Blistein, Jon (2022-07-15). "William Hart, Co-Founder and Lead Singer for Soul Stars the Delfonics, Dead at 77". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  15. ^ mgocustom (2022-07-15). "Delfonics lead singer William "Poogie" Hart dies at age 77". SoulTracks. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  16. ^ Christgau, Robert (2007-11-12). "Legendary 3 Tenors of Soul Revive with Style". npr.
  17. ^ Conde, Ximena; DeLuca, Dan (2022-07-15). "William 'Poogie' Hart, lead singer of the Delfonics and voice of the Philadelphia sound, dies at 77". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  18. ^ Chilton, Louis (2022-07-15). "William Hart death: The Delfonics lead singer dies aged 77". The Independent.

Other pages

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Outside pages

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