Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, the longtime bassist of The Roots, has died at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer. Hubbard’s wife, Stephanie, confirmed the news of his death to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The bassist had been with The Roots from 1992 until 2007, when he departed to fight myeloma.
In a statement posted on their social media accounts, The Roots paid tribute to Hubbard.
“It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our brother Leonard Nelson Hubbard,” the statement said. “May your transition bring peace to your family to your friends to your fans and all of those who loved you. Rest in Melody Hub.”
It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our brother Leonard Nelson Hubbard.
May your transition bring peace to your family to your friends to your fans and all of those who loved you.
Rest in Melody Hub pic.twitter.com/2dknTLDNLh— The Roots (@theroots) December 17, 2021
“I was called to the hospital. They told me what had happened that he had passed. I went to the hospital and was able to sit with him,” Stephanie Hubbard told Philadelphia’s ABC 6. She added that his decline in health “happened quickly” and she took Hubbard to Lankenau Hospital in the Philadelphia area on Wednesday night. She wasn’t allowed to stay with him due to COVID. He was in the process of working on new music as recently as last week.
Last year, The Roots co-founder Malik B. died at the age of 47.
In 2016, Hubbard sued his former bandmates, accusing them of paying him less than other members despite an agreement that allowed him to be paid as a co-owner of the band.
