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Cuba Gooding Sr., soul singer and actor's father, dies at 72

By Mike Bambach
Cuba Gooding Sr. arrives at a New York City benefit for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 2009. Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI
Cuba Gooding Sr. arrives at a New York City benefit for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 2009. Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI | License Photo

April 20 (UPI) -- Cuba Gooding Sr., the lead singer for a popular 1970s R&B group and father of Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., was found dead Thursday, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

Gooding, 72, performed with The Main Ingredient, best known for their 1972 hit "Everybody Plays the Fool," for nearly 20 years.

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Gooding's body was discovered in a car parked on Ventura Boulevard in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Woodland Hills. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police told TMZ, which first reported his death, that they suspected a possible drug overdose.

Gooding joined The Main Ingredient in 1971 and the group scored five top-10 hits on the R&B charts. He also recorded two top-100 R&B hits as a solo artist.

Gooding had four children with his wife Shirley, including actors Cuba Jr. and Omar.

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