Fred Simon, an R&B singer best known as the last surviving original member of the Chicago group The Lost Generation, passed away earlier this month. He was 74 years old.
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In the post on The Lost Generation’s Facebook page, Simon’s wife confirmed the news.
“So with a very heavy heart, my husband Fred Simon, the last original member and one of the founding members of The Lost Generation and New Lost Generation has died,” she wrote.
The musician’s wife also posted information about the singer’s memorial service. The event will be held in Glenwood, Illinois, on April 17. His viewing will take place on the evening of April 16.
Fred formed The Lost Generation with his brother Lowrell when they, alongside Jesse Dean, Leslie Dean, and Larry Brownlee, began singing together in 1969. Their song, “The Sly, Slick, and the Wicked,” was a major hit in the US. Lowrell’s inspiration for the song’s title was the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Other songs the group was known for were “Wait a Minute,” “Someday,” and “Your Mission (If You Decide to Accept It) Part I.”
The group stayed together until it was disbanded in 1974. After The Lost Generation ended, Fred and Larry joined the group Mystique. Fred later sang for The Chi-Lites.
Larry died in 1978, while Jesse passed in 2003. Lowrell, who had a successful career as a solo artist and songwriter after The Lost Generation’s disbandment, died in 2018.
Lowrell wrote the 1979 song “All About the Paper” for Loleatta Holloway. He also penned “Dance Master” for Willie Henderson in 1974.
Details about Fred’s passing, including the cause of death, have not been revealed.
The Lost Generation Fans React to Fred Simon’s Passing
Shortly after the news broke about Fred’s passing, fans took to the Facebook post’s comment section to pay tribute to him.
“You have more condolences,” one fan wrote. “Their record was so influential that groups calling themselves Sly, Slick & Wicked after the song were going around saying they were the Lost Generation.”
Another fan added, “A legend and a great man. He will truly be missed. Stay strong.”
Other fans paid their condolences by sharing photos of themselves with Fred.