US: Barry White, the soul and R&B crooner renowned for his lush baritone and sexually-explicit lyrics, has died aged 58.
White had suffered kidney failure from years of high blood pressure. He had been in hospital since last September and died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, around 9:30 a.m., his manager Mr Ned Shankman said.
White had three decades of fame for songs like You're the First, the Last, My Everything; Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe; and It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me.
Born on September 12th, 1944, in Texas, White spent most of his childhood in Los Angeles.
In 1990, White told Ebony magazine that his voice changed overnight from the squeaky tones of a preadolescent to the rumbling bass that made him famous. "It scared me and my mother when I spoke that morning," he said. "It was totally unexpected."
He was jailed at age 16 for stealing tyres, a punishment he credited with helping him straighten out his life. He married a childhood sweetheart, identified only as Mary in his autobiography, and fathered four children with her before they separated in 1969. He is credited by some for helping launch disco with his orchestral Love's Theme in 1973.
He enjoyed a revival with The Icon Is Love album in 1994. His songs were regularly featured on the comedy series Ally McBeal.