Guitarist J. Geils Dead at 71

A founding member of a band that rocketed to fame in the 1980’s has died.

FOX’s Michelle Pollino reports: 

John Warren Geils, known as J. Geils, the guitarist of the band of the same name has died in his home in Massachusetts. If you were a teenager coming of age in the early 80’s and turned on the radio, this was one of the J. Geils Band songs you probably heard…

‘Freeze Frame’ was the name of the song and album that brought the band its biggest success. It was also the band’s 12th album, it stayed number one for four weeks and stayed on the charts for 70 weeks. Their first big hit was the teenage anthem ‘Love Stinks’… 

That was 1980, but it was this song that gave them their first number one..

‘Centerfold’ stayed at number one for six weeks. The band was influenced by soul music and rhythm and blues, but it moved toward pop and rock by the time the album ‘Love Stinks’ came out. 

J. Geils was 71-years-old.

Michelle Pollino, FOX News.

Follow Michelle Pollino on Twitter: @MichellPollino