Bernie Wilson, Member of Classic Blue Notes Lineup, Dead at 64

One of the last-standing members of the classic lineup for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, baritone vocalist Bernie Wilson, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 26. CNN reports that the 64-year-old Wilson died of "undisclosed medical complications" at a New Jersey hospital. As part of the Blue Notes, both with and without Harold Melvin -- and both before and after Teddy Pendergrass' membership -- Wilson helped define a commercially popular style of soul music often referred to as the Sound of Philadelphia or, simply, Philadelphia soul.

In 1972, under Melvin's leadership, the Blue Notes signed to Philadelphia International and, that September, released their self-titled debut album. Originally entitled 'I Miss You,' the album got a makeover following the massive success of its hit single, 'If You Don't Know Me By Now,' propelled, in part, by Pendergrass' career-making vocal.

After Pendergrass left the group in 1976 to pursue a solo career, the Blue Notes never fully recovered commercially. However they did have a few more successes in the late '70s and, after that, they continued, albeit intermittently, to record and perform until Melvin's death in 1997. Wilson toured with several breakaway groups featuring fellow members of previous Blue Note incarnations, well into the 1990s.

Pendergrass passed away in January of this year, following a long battle with colon cancer. With Wilson's death on Sunday, Lloyd Parks is the sole, remaining member of the Blue Notes' classic lineup from their Philadelphia International era.