The Whispers, half of the velvet-voiced twin duo whose name became synonymous with a sound, passed away in Northridge, Calif, and he was 81. The cause was cancer, with which Scott had been diagnosed six months earlier and which, ever surrounded by family and love, his wife, Jan, with their twin sons and three grandchildren, and with his brother and lifelong bandmate, Wallace “Scotty” Scott, himself a cancer survivor. It’s the sort of poetic full circle that mirrors the soothing soul harmonies that have kept the Whispers a fixture in R&B households for decades.
Walter was born in Texas in 1944, and his path to stardom wasn’t necessarily quick, but it was suffused with grit and soul. When his family relocated to Los Angeles, Griffith linked up with a group of kindred voices, Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon, who, along with Walter and Wallace, came together as The Whispers in 1963. A slow but tactful climb followed that, his trajectory briefly interrupted when Walter enlisted to fight in the Vietnam War. But by 1969, just as the group was preparing to receive its first authentic taste of national attention, he was back. The Whispers had returned in full force and were poised to leave a mark.
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They broke into the charts with their single “Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong” in 1970. And from there, the hits didn’t just follow, but they grooved. Walter’s voice powered 15 Top 10 R&B hits, including the indelible “And the Beat Goes On” and “Rock Steady,” songs that not only topped the charts but also coursed through dance floors with high-fidelity sound waves after midnight, transcending generations. Their supple harmonies, flashy stage gear, and feel-good rhythms made them icons of a time, and they stayed classics long after they peaked.
The Whispers’ music would later be found and reimagined by another generation of artists, sampled by the likes of 50 Cent, J. Cole, and Will Smith. As the musical sea change raged around him, Walter Scott’s sway never diminished; it just changed.
He wasn’t just a singer but was a bridge between eras. A soldier soulman, a twin whose voice wove so seamlessly with his brother’s that audiences often couldn’t tell who was leading. He was the steadying presence in the beat, the diplomat in the groove.
In 2014, The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and in 2015, the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame inducted the group. And though Walter Scott Jr. is gone, his whisper remains in every beat that goes on, in every song that still plays steady. As fans recall that timeless sound and infectious presence, we bid farewell to a man whose voice didn’t simply fill rooms, but somewhat softened them.
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