Walter C. Scott, Jr., co-founder of the R&B group The Whispers, died on June 26, 2025. The 81-year-old died in Northridge, California, following a six-month battle with cancer. The singer and his identical twin, Wallace, first formed their Los Angeles-based quintet in the 1960s, according to Billboard.
He was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1944, according to the LA Sentinel. The family moved to Los Angeles in 1959. The Scott brothers began singing together while attending Jordan High School. The Whispers included the twins, Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon.
The Vietnam draft derailed their collective group goals. Walter served in the Army for two years as a signaler. While he was away, the Whispers continued to perform. After he returned in 1969, he rejoined the group.
They recorded for several labels, even landing on the top ten charts in 1970, before signing with Solar Records in 1978. That’s when their career started to take shape. Soultracks reported that The Whispers’ debut album had a modest hit with “Olivia”.
“After so many years, the Whispers seemed destined to remain a middling act that would never achieve real large-scale international attention. Then in 1980, Griffey teamed them with upcoming writer/producer Leon Sylvers, and the result was “And the Beat Goes On,” one of the most infectious songs of the disco era and the single that thrust the Whispers to the top tier of soul artists.”
After they found a formula that worked, their monster hits continued with “It’s a Love Thing” and “Keep on Loving Me.” Babyface gave the group a hit with “Rock Steady.” In the 90s, they moved over to Capitol Records and later to Interscope.
The Whispers had 15 songs in Billboard’s top 10 R&B hits starting in 1970 and eight top R&B albums in their catalog, including two No. 1s: The Whispers and Love is Where You Find It. The group was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2014.
The LA Times says the quintet’s songs were widely sampled by rappers, including 50 Cent, Mobb Deep, and Will Smith, the last of whom used “And the Beat Goes On” as the basis for his late-‘90s hit “Miami.”
Walter C. Scott, Jr. is survived by his wife, Jan; his two sons; and three grandchildren. Our prayers and condolences go out to his family.
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