Singer-songwriter King Floyd III dead at 61

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updated 1:22 p.m. ET March 20, 2006

NEW ORLEANS - Funeral services were held this past weekend for King Floyd the Third, the soul singer and songwriter best known for his 1970 hit “Groove Me.”

His record label says Floyd died in California earlier this month of complications from a stroke and diabetes. He was 61.

Floyd was born in New Orleans and grew up in nearby Kenner. As a young man, Floyd sometimes sang with the house band at the Sho-Bar on Bourbon Street. After serving in the Army, he tried to launch a career as an entertainer.

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It was the song “Groove Me” that put him on the map. After the song became a regional hit, Atlantic Records picked up the song and promoted it nationally. It reached number one on the R&B chart and number six on the pop chart.

Floyd is survived by his wife, Patricia; two daughters, a son and six grandchildren.