*Unfortunately we have sad news about one of the members of The Whispers singing group, Nicholas “Nick” Caldwell.
According to a close friend of the group and Caldwell, clothier, Larry Cooper (Hanging with Mr. Cooper), the Whispers’ man with the beard passed away on Tuesday (01-05-16). He was 71.
The group’s manager tells TMZ that Caldwell was found Tuesday night (01-05-16) by his wife at their home in Stockton, CA. The man who wrote a lot of the groups hit songs has had heart problems in the past and had a pacemaker inserted about a year ago but it’s unclear at this point exactly what led to his death.
READ THIS RELATED STORY: Johnny Britt’s Special Tribute to Nick Caldwell & The Whispers (LISTEN)
Caldwell had also taken a break from the group over the last year to get better in hopes of returning to the stage with the group’s other three members.
As we said above, the specific cause of death is not known and Caldwell had been suffering from heart issues for sometime. It’s one reason why in the last few years he would be seated on a stool while the other members performed standing.
Last Summer, Caldwell, via the group’s publicist, Willette Ballard, published a note on Facebook to fans concerned about his health:
To all the Whispers Fans and Friends, it is with great enthusiasm that I am posting a love letter from Nicholas Caldwell providing an update and overview of his current status. Here it is in his own words (WC Ballard):
“It has been my experience that speculation can be far worse than the truth. So I thought it was important to write you (My Family of Fans) an explanation as to why I have not been able to join the Whispers on stage over the past months.
In January of this year… my cardiology team at Stanford University Hospital were all in agreement that my congestive heart failure had deteriorated to the point that they thought I had 3 to 6 months to live.
So, my family and I decided it best that I take advantage of a relatively new technology called an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device), which if successful could extend my life expectancy by years.
So, thanks to God and all of you beloved prayer warriors out there I’m on a wonderful journey to recovery. Hope to see you soon.
“May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.” (As quoted by Archie Dennis)
God Speed, Love Nick”
The Whispers began performing together in 1963 as The Eden Trio, created by Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon. It was not long before they invited their friends, twin brothers Wallace “Scotty” and Walter Scott to join them. They adopted their current name from Lou Bedell of Dore Records.
