Randy Cain, 63, a founding member of the Philadelphia soul group the Delfonics, which had the 1968 hit "La-La (Means I Love You)," died Thursday at his home in Maple Shade.Mr. Cain was found dead at his apartment by his hairdresser, said Sheila Hart, the wife of Delfonics cofounder Wilbert Hart. She said Mr. Cain had been in poor health for years.
Mr. Cain met brothers William and Wilbert Hart while the three were growing up in West Philadelphia during the 1960s, Wilbert Hart recalled.
After experimenting with different bands, the core trio and three others formed the Orphonics, which became the Delfonics, he said.
When the group started making hits, it was down to the Hart brothers and Mr. Cain, who "was more or less the ladies' man with the group," Wilbert Hart recalled.
Mr. Cain most recently was working just with William Hart. Wilbert Hart said he was devastated by Mr. Cain's passing.
Authorities do not believe there was any foul play in Mr. Cain's death, according to Burlington County First Assistant Prosecutor Ray Milavsky. A final determination will be made by the medical examiner, he said.
The Delfonics, led by songwriter William Hart, worked with Thom Bell, who produced "La-La (Means I Love You)." Bell also produced "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," which won an R&B Grammy in 1970.
Both songs were used in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 movie Jackie Brown. And "Didn't I," which was a hit on New Kids on the Block's self-titled debut, also has been covered by Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin, among many others.
Mr. Cain left the group in 1971, but returned around 1999, Wilbert Hart said. Mr. Cain last performed with William Hart on Valentine's Day.
The Delfonics' music – and Mr. Cain's voice - have also been frequently sampled by hip-hop artists such as Notorious B.I.G. and DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and most prominently by the Fugees, who used the song "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)," as the basis for "Ready or Not," the Lauryn Hill-sung hit on the group's 1996 album The Score.
Funeral arrangements were pending the arrival of Mr. Cain's son, Randy Jr., from Hawaii. Mr. Cain also is survived by his mother, Louise; sister Joanne; another son; and three grandchildren.
