John Forté, Grammy-nominated Fugees collaborator, found dead at 50
John Forté attends "Kerouac's Road: The Beat Of A Nation" Premiere - 2025 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theater on June 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
NEW YORK - John Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician best known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp All-Stars, has died at 50.
He was found dead Monday afternoon in his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts, according to police.
What they're saying:
Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin said in a statement that there were no signs of foul play or "readily apparent cause of death." The case is being investigated by the state medical examiner's office, according to Slavin.
Dig deeper:
A native of New York City, Forté was a musical prodigy who broke through in his early 20s as a contributor to the Fugees' Grammy-winning "The Score" and to Wyclef Jean's Grammy-nominated "The Carnival." A multi-instrumentalist and rapper, he also released such solo albums as "Poly Sci" and "I John," with contributors including Carly Simon, whose son, Ben Taylor, was a close friend of Forté's.
In 2000, he was arrested at Newark International Airport and charged with possession of liquid cocaine and drug trafficking. Forté was sentenced to 14 years in prison, but the sentence was commuted after seven years by President George W. Bush. Simon was among many public figures who advocated for his release.
Survivors include his wife, the photographer Lara Fuller, and two children.The
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. Information in the story came from a statement by Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin. This story was reported from Los Angeles.