R&B Singer B. Smyth Dies at 28 From Pulmonary Fibrosis

B. Smyth, born Brandon Smith, has passed away following a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was just 28 years old.

The news was shared on the R&B singer’s Instagram page in a video made by his older brother, Denzil, who confirmed that Brandon had passed away Thursday morning (Nov. 17) from respiratory failure caused by his lung disease. According to Mayo Clinic, pulmonary fibrosis occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred, making it progressively more difficult to breathe.

“So on behalf of my brother and my family we want to say thank you to all of you for all of your love & support throughout the years,” Denzil captioned the video. “We ask for privacy during these difficult times. We also want to say thank you for all of your prayers.”

Denzil said in the video that before his brother died, Brandon had asked him to make a video for fans to watch after he passed. According to Denzil, Brandon always talked about how much he and his fans loved each other, and he was always pushing himself to give his fans the best possible content.

“My brother was very excited to see a lot of you create challenges for his latest released single #Twerkoholic part 2,” he wrote in the caption. “While he was in the ICU, it really brought him a big smile to his face.”

Born in Florida, Brandon kicked off his career as an artist in 2012, signing a record deal with Motown Records and releasing his debut single, “Leggo,” with 2 Chainz. He released two EPs and several singles during his career and had entries on a handful of Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop charts.

Listen to Denzil’s announcement about the passing of B. Smyth below.