An American R&B singer-songwriter living in the Philippines was reportedly found dead in his residence this week.
Keith Eric Martin, who gained fame for his hit song “Because of You,” was discovered Friday already deceased in his Quezon City condo, The Manila Times reported. It is believed that he was 57-years-old.
Police investigating death
According to the chief of the local police department, the property manager of the condo building had alerted authorities to Martin’s body after discovering it following complaints from neighboring residents of a strong and foul odor emanating from his unit.
“When they traced the odor, they found out that it was coming from Unit 6-E where they saw the body of the American singer-songwriter,” the police chief wrote in her report, according to the Times.
The chief told the news outlet that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit has now taken over the case and opened a full investigation into the manner and cause of death for Martin.
Surrounded by friends and music associates in the Philippines
According to celebrity and entertainment website Rappler, Martin has been living alone in the Philippines for the past several years and though he had no family or relatives in that country he did have plenty of friends and colleagues in the music industry.
Those friends are now said to be anxiously awaiting the results of an autopsy after Martin’s body was transported to a local funeral home.
It is believed that Martin had already been dead for about a week prior to being found due to the noxious smell, which would seem to indicate an advanced state of decomposition.
The outlet noted that Martin had just recently performed live at a wedding reception for a friend about two weeks ago on March 12.
Local media outlet GMA News reported that several of Martin’s friends and associates in the music industry quickly took to social media to express their condolences upon the news of his passing.
Successful singer, songwriter, and producer
The U.S. Sun reported that Martin first launched his music career at the age of 19 and was a member of an R&B group known as Masquerade in the 1980s, though he embarked on a solo career in the 1990s as a singer, songwriter, and producer.
His biggest hit, “Because of You,” was released in 1995, and his most recent single, “Return to Me,” had been released in 2018.