On Sunday, December 7, 2008, at the age of 65 Dennis Yost, lead singer of the 1960s group the Classics IV, passed away of respiratory failure at Fort Hamilton Hospital in Hamilton, Ohio.

The Classics IV's hits included "Spooky" (made it to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the U.S., and #46 in the UK.), "Stormy" and "Traces of Love."

Yost had been in nursing homes since suffering a brain injury sustained in a 2005 fall, said Joe Glickman, the singer's friend and biographer . "I'm still in shock because he was fine Saturday morning," said his wife, Linda Yost, of suburban Hamilton. "And by, you know, early Sunday morning he was gone."

The Classics IV got their start in Jacksonville, Fla., where Yost, a native of Detroit, was raised, Glickman said. Their hit recordings were produced in Atlanta under the supervision of producer Buddy Buie and Bill Lowery, founder of Lowery Music Inc. The group performed together for about five years. Buie, who was a co-writer of the group's songs with the group's guitarist, J.R. Cobb, said: "Dennis had an incredible voice _ just a great voice for love songs."

Cobb, 65, said he and Yost grew up in Jacksonville and rode motorcycles together before they were in the band. Cobb, who later performed with the Atlanta Rhythm Section and with the Highwaymen _ a country group that included Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson _ is retired and lives in Monticello, Ga.

Yost is survived by his wife and five children. A memorial service is planned for this weekend, Linda Yost said.