OBITUARY

Singer Cuba Gooding Sr. reportedly found dead in car

Melody Baetens
The Detroit News
Singer Cuba Gooding Sr., left, and his son, Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. in 2007.

Soul singer Cuba Gooding Sr. was found dead in his car Thursday in California, TMZ reports.

Gooding, who is the father of Academy Award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., was found in his silver Jaguar parked on Ventura in Woodland Hills. The fire department responded but failed to resuscitate him.

TMZ says they were told that police suspect he died of an overdose, but they don’t reveal a source.

Cuba Gooding Sr., 72, was the lead singer of the 1970s soul group the Main Ingredient.

Gooding replaced original singer Don McPherson who died in the early 1970s. Shortly after Gooding joined the band, they had a big hit with the song “Everybody Plays the Fool” in 1972. Their 1973 album “Afrodisiac” featured several songs co-written by Stevie Wonder.

Gooding’s son Cuba Gooding Jr. won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in “Jerry Maguire.” He also recently received acclaim for his role as O. J. Simpson in “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.”

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

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