B. Smyth had been battling pulmonary fibrosis (Picture: MediaPunch / BACKGRID)
Singer and rapper B. Smyth has died aged 28 after a long health battle, his brother has confirmed.
The R&B star, who first caught the eye with his covers on YouTube before getting signed by Motown Records in 2012 and finding success with his single Twerkaholic two years later, has died just two weeks after dropping the sequel track Twerkaholic, Pt. 2.
In a post shared to B. Smyth’s Instagram page on Thursday, his brother Denzil revealed the star ‘passed away this morning from respiratory failure after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis’.
He wrote: ‘My brother was very excited to see a lot of you create challenges for his latest released single #Twerkoholic part 2 while he was in the ICU, it really brought him a big smile to his face.
‘So on behalf of my brother and my family we want to say thank you to all of you for all of your love & support throughout the years.
‘We ask for privacy during these difficult times. We also want to say thank you for all of your prayers. #RIPBSMYTH Love you bro.’
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
B. Smyth signed to Motown in 2012 (Picture: MediaPunch / BACKGRID)
The singer’s brother shared a video on Instagram where he spoke more about the star’s death, and the love he shared with his fans.
”He passed away with a fight he was having with a lung condition. It’s very tough for me to make this video, because I felt I would never have to make this,’ he said. ‘I ask that you guys bare with me if I may be coming off like I’m stuttering or I’m slow with my words.
He recently released sequel track Twerkaholic, Pt. 2 (Picture: MediaPunch / BACKGRID)
His brother Denzil shared the news in an emotional video (Picture: B. Smyth/Instagram)
‘I’m just making this video for my family and we ask that you respect our wishes of privacy, and that we accept all the love and condolences on his behalf.’
Denzil added that B. Smyth’s bond with his fans inspired him to make the best content possible, noting: ‘He wanted me to make this video to let you guys know that He appreciated everything that you did for him, all the love and support.’
He said the support from the fans meant his late brother had a ‘smoother process’ in his final moments, while Denzil promised to keep fans up to date with funeral plans.
He also suggested a live stream is a possibility, to give fans from outside Florida or the United States ‘a live visual and pay your last respects and your condolences to him as he goes on his next journey’.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : America’s Got Talent’s Roslyn Singleton dies aged 39 after brain cancer battle
Follow Metro on Snapchat
You can follow our new Snapchat show Pop Cultur’d, the go-to place for all things pop culture.
Keep up with the latest Showbiz exclusives by following Metro Showbiz on Snapchat.
And football fans can indulge in all the transfer gossip and more on Metro Football on Snapchat.
The star’s brother shared the news on social media.
