John Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp All-Stars among others, has died at age 50. He was found dead Monday afternoon in his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts, according to police.
Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin said in a statement that there were no signs of foul play or “readily apparent cause of death.” The case is being investigated by the state medical examiner’s office, according to Slavin.
A native of New York City, Forté was a musical prodigy who broke through in his early 20s as a contributor to the Fugees’ Grammy-winning The Score and to Wyclef Jean’s Grammy-nominated The Carnival. A multi-instrumentalist and rapper, he also released such solo albums as Poly Sci and I John, with contributors including Carly Simon, whose son, Ben Taylor, was a close friend of Forté’s.
Forté scored one solo hit on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Ninety Nine [Flash The Message]” peaking at No. 59 in 1998. His Poly Sci album, released that same year, peaked on the Billboard 200 at No. 84.
During Billboard‘s final interview with Forté, he talked to Gail Mitchell about the Fugees reuniting for the 25th anniversary of The Score in 2021. “Talk about coming full-circle,” he said at the time. “I am humbled and thrilled to be connected to that album. We will see where the calendar for the tour dates coordinate as I have things going on myself with this new album. I wasn’t there for the pop-up show [Sept. 22]. But I was there in spirit. And while maybe not in the same room, I have stayed in touch with those guys over the years. Time heals.”
In 2000, he was arrested at Newark International Airport and charged with possession of liquid cocaine and drug trafficking. Forté was sentenced to 14 years in prison, but the sentence was commuted after seven years by President George W. Bush. Carly Simon was among many public figures who advocated for his release.
Survivors include his wife, the photographer Lara Fuller, and two children.
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