Marlena Shaw has died at the age of 81.
The singer, best known for his hit song California Soul, has died, according to a video posted on Facebook by his daughter Marla. No specific information is provided.
"Hello everyone, with a heavy heart for me and my family, I announce that our dear mother, your beloved icon and artist, Marlena Shaw, died today at 12:03 in the morning," Marla said in the video.
"He was quiet, we were quiet."
A single from Shaw's 1969 album The Spice of Life, "California Soul" became the most sought after record for early hip-hop artists. Dream on Wax, DJ Shadow, Gang Starr, and Diplo have all sampled the song.
The song was composed by Ashford and Simpson, originally performed by The Messengers, and featured in several television commercials. In Spotify, it now has more than 100 million dollars.
1942 Shaw was born in New Rochelle, New York. In 1966, he signed with the Chicago blues/R&B label Chess Records, and over the next forty years he recorded several albums, including 1977's Sweet Beginnings on Columbia Records.