Iconic R&B group’s member dead: ‘We lost one of our own’
Gary Grier, a member of The Contours, has died, the R&B group recently announced on social media.
“Today, we lost one of our own,” the Facebook post read. “We are profoundly saddened by the sudden death of Gary Grier. Gary has been a member of The Contours for over three decades. He was an integral part of our group, and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Gary’s family and friends.
The Contours sold more than a million copies of their hit song, “Do You Love Me.” It was a hit in 1962, and it was also highlighted in the 1988 hit “Dirty Dancing,” brining it back into the mainstream. In fact, the song spent eight weeks on the Billboard top 40 charts.
Grier wasn’t part of the original group, but he joined in 1993, when singer Darell Nunlee left the band.
The group had other singles, like “Can You Do It,” “Don’t Let Her Be Your Baby” and “That Day When She Needed Me.”
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.