R&B singer Keith Martin, who is known for his ballad "Because of You," has died at 55.
The news was confirmed by The Philippine Star which reported that his body was discovered in his Quezon City condominium Friday after neighbors alerted the property manager about a foul smell emanating from what turned out to be his apartment.
It is believed that Martin had been dead for at least a week before his body was discovered.
Martin had moved to Manila in 2004 to be an in-house producer for EMI Philippines. Shortly after news of his death broke, several stars whom he had worked with took to social media to pay tribute to the late singer. Among them was singing sensation Kyla, who has become known as the "Queen of R&B" in the Philippines.
"In shock and in disbelief. You will be missed, Keith Martin. Thank you for the inspiration. You will leave a legacy of great music that is timeless and will always be remebered." she tweeted.
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1966, Martin was raised in a musical family. By the late 1980s, he was working on the local R&B scene. He got his start performing in a group called Masquerade but decided to eventually branch out as a solo artist, according to the Daily Mail.
He released his debut album "Long Overdue" in 1995, which featured the hit single "Never Find Someone Like You." Further bolstering his career, the single was included on the "Bad Boys" soundtrack, which went platinum. The release of "Because Of You" made him a sensation. The success of the song helped to establish his career in the Philippines and Indonesia, where he made the album, "This Road," Daily Mail noted.
Martin’s final release was the 2018 single "Return to Me."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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