Cuba Gooding Sr., famed soul singer and father of the Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., was found dead in a car in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, according to TMZ.
The singer was 72 years old, with a birthday next week.
Gooding was found in a silver Jaguar parked on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills, law enforcement officials said. The vehicle was reportedly registered to Cuba Gooding Jr. and wife, Shirley Gooding, according to KTLA 5.
Los Angeles police Capt. Paul Vernon said on Twitter that the cause of death hasn’t been determined, but it appears to be a “non-homicidal death.” Alcohol containers and drug paraphernalia were found in the vehicle, according to officials. The LA County coroner’s office said it was awaiting results of toxicology tests.
After serving as the backup vocals, Gooding Sr. became the the lead singer of the popular R&B group The Main Ingredient in 1971, according to Billboard. The group went on to release several hit songs, including, “Everybody Plays the Fool,” which rose to No. 2 on Billboard’s R&B chart, and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart.
Gooding went solo and signed with Motown Records in 1977. He released two albums, which included the hit “Mind Pleaser,” before rejoining The Main Ingredient in 1979.
The singer was married to Shirley Gooding, with whom he had four children: actors Cuba Gooding Jr. and Omar Gooding; musician Tommy Gooding; and April Gooding.