Babyface's Brother & 'After 7' Vocalist Melvin Edmonds Dies at 65

Melvin Edmonds, a founding member of the R&B crew “After 7” and older brother of Grammy-winning singer/producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, has passed away. He was 65.

One of his sons, Melvin Jr., confirmed to the Indy Star that Melvin died on Saturday, May 18, following a brief illness. The cause of death is, however, not known.

According to MadameNoire, Melvin’s other son, Jason, also addressed their father's death in a Facebook post, saying:

“I’ve been receiving and reading everyone’s messages and texts about my Dad. I appreciate the kind words and I’ll have something to say in return. For now, I just need time to process.”

Melvin was one of the founding members of Indianapolis-based “After 7,” along with his brother, Kevon, and their friend, Keith Mitchell.

The group was famous in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, known for chart-topping hits like "Ready or Not," “Kickin’ It,” "Heat of the Moment," and the Grammy-nominated "Can't Stop."

'Melvin is on throughout the album. He definitely stepped it up in the studio and gave us his all'

Melvin would later leave the group in 1995 after the release of their third album "Reflections" and his son, Jason, replaced him.

Melvin’s brother/bandmate Kevon reportedly revealed that the former left the group because he grew weary of the business aspect of music.

“Melvin grew tired of the business. There are no checks and balances or safety nets or protections for you in this business. He still loves to sing but it’s the extra stuff that he reached his limit with.”

However, for the release of After 7’s 2016 comeback album, “Timeless,” Melvin joined the group, making it a quartet for the first time.

“Since Melvin was no longer doing this, we checked in with him to see if he was game to work on the album, the group reportedly told Billboard about Melvin rejoining the group.

They added:

“Without his voice in our signature sound, it would have been cheating our fans. Melvin is on throughout the album. He definitely stepped it up in the studio and gave us his all, bringing a great balance.”

Despite the group’s long hiatus, "Timeless" spawned three Billboard “Top 10” songs: "Runnin' Out," "I Want You" and "Let Me Know."

Melvin Edmonds is survived by one daughter, Courtney, and three sons, Melvin Jr., Jason, and Chris.