R&B singer Nate Dogg has passed away last night (March 15, 2011) at the age of 41 in Long Beach, CA.
Dogg, real name Nathaniel Dwayne Hale first rose to fame as part of 213, which featured other soon-to-be superstars Snoop Dogg and Warren G. It was his gospel-inspired vocal style that caught the attention of producer Dr. Dre.
His voice was most famously heard on the single ‘Regulate’, recorded with Warren G. and released in 1994, but achieved decent success with his three records ‘G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2’ (1998), ‘Music and Me’ (2001) and ‘Nate Dogg’ (2003).
The calibre of artists that sought out his distinct vocals is testament to his talent. He made numerous appearances on other artists songs, including cuts from Fabolous, Ludacris and Eminem.
He suffered a stroke in 2007 and a second one in 2008. Reports had emerged that he was unable to communicate and rapper Warren G tweeted on Sunday that “he is in therapy”.
As the time of press, the cause of death is unclear.
Follow the author Tim Cashmere on Twitter or add him as a friend on Facebook.
Check out R&B group Naturally 7 performing for Undercover's U-Sessions below:
