Doo-Wop Legend Larry Chance Dead at 82
Larry Chance, who became a legend of doo-wop with his Bronx group The Earls—also known as Larry Chance and the Earls—has passed away. He was 82.
Chance died on Sept. 6 in a hospital in Orlando, Florida, according to The New York Times, with his daughter, Nicole Chance, saying that the cause of death was complications from lung cancer.
According to the group's official website, Chance was born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before his family moved to the Bronx in 1955. The Earls, Chance's long-lasting doo-wop group, began in 1957 as the High Hatters, and they were allegedly discovered on a street corner.
They became The Earls in 1960 and were a part of the early era of doo-wop, joining the many Black musical groups who helped launch the genre.
The musical group gained prominence with their hit song "Remember Then," which was released in 1962. Other tracks that gained popularity were "Life Is But a Dream," "Never," and "I Believe."
The website also lists the most recent group members as Chance, Bobby "T" Tribuzio, Bobby Coleman, and Chuck Mearizo. The group was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame on June 21, 2008.
Fans lamented the loss on social media, with one writing on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Rest well, dear Larry Chance. Some people, besides being enormously talented & soulful, are just lovely to be around. He was just such a person. He always brought a smile to your face. He was one of the good ones. He will be sorely missed."
Throughout The Earls' decades of performing, Chance remained the only enduring original member from formation to his death in 2023.
