NEW YORK (Reuters) - J. Geils, leader of The J. Geils Band whose hard-driving hits of the late 1970s and early 1980s included Centerfold, Freeze Frame and Love Stinks, died on Tuesday at his home in Groton, Massachusetts, police said. He was 71.Groton police said Geils, whose full name was John Warren Geils Jr., appeared to have died of natural causes. After a well-being check at the musicians house at around 4 p.m. EDT, Geils was discovered unresponsive and was declared dead at the scene, police said in a statement.The J. Geils Band was launched as a blues trio in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the 1960s. It soon switched its focus to electric guitars and bass as it became a staple of the Boston music scene through the 1970s with Geils as its lead guitarist and Peter Wolf on vocals, the group said on its Facebook page.Its biggest commercial successes were the hard rock n roll anthems that came with the release of Freeze Frame, the bands 12th album, in 1981.The album, which followed the comical hit Love Stinks, also included the title track and Centerfold, which was No. 1 for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 list, the group said. The bands success was relatively shortlived. After Wolf left the group in 1983, the remaining members produced another album, Youre Gettin Even While Im Gettin Old, and one single, Concealed Weapons, before breaking up in 1985.The band had several reunion tours since then. Geils finally quit the band in 2012 and later sued his bandmates, claiming they were conspiring to tour without him and unlawfully using the bands trademarked name, according to Rolling Stone magazine.Geils remained active outside his namesake band. He released two albums in the mid-1990s with his band Bluestime, Rolling Stone said. He returned to his jazz roots during the 2000s with three solo records, it said.Geils was born in New York on Feb. 20, 1946, and grew up in the New Jersey suburbs.Fans took to social media overnight to share their respects:Good bye Mr. Geils we had some good times. Nothin but a house party #JGeils pic.twitter.com/9qoM0Q7Ldm Sir Pahl (@therealdougpahl) April 12, 2017 One of the great original and distinctly Boston rock and roll bands. Losing more and more of my childhood. RIP https://t.co/OAsaDMiYkA Michael Chiklis (@MichaelChiklis) April 11, 2017 My condolences to the Geils family. J. Geils Band was the first concert I ever attended. Here's to The Boston Bad Boys. RIP , J. Geils. Chris Cornett (@CcWinsalot) April 12, 2017 A great American guitar slinger: J Geils, passed away today..Rock in Peace. pic.twitter.com/3IZGCmXSJt Michael Des Barres (@MDesbarres) April 11, 2017 -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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