Family: Roots founding member Leonard Hubbard dies at 62
Leonard Hubbard's wife says he'd been battling cancer for more than a decade.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Leonard Hubbard, also known as 'Hub,' was a talented bassist and one of the founding members of the Roots.
On Thursday, Hub's family revealed that the 62-year-old musician passed away.
His wife, Stephanie Hubbard, says he'd been battling cancer for more than a decade, but his health unexpectedly took a turn last night.
"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 said tearfully.
Stephanie says she took her husband to Lankenau Hospital Wednesday night but wasn't allowed to stay with him because of COVID.
She says the day before, he was energetic and mobile, and then suddenly he couldn't move.
In 2007, Hubbard was diagnosed with multiple myeloma-- a type of blood cancer. At that time, he stopped touring with the band.
He underwent two rounds of chemo and managed to still produce music with well-known artists like Jill Scott.
His wife says he'd recently finished a composition last week titled "The Awakening."
"When you hear his project, you'll see he was so much more than what people know," said Stephanie.
In 2016, Hubbard filed suit against some of the Roots members after alleging he was being paid less than other members, despite his deal with the band calling for him to continue being paid as a co-owner.
His wife says that suit still has not been settled.
Hubbard recorded seven albums with the Roots. A year after he stopped touring, the bassist reunited with them twice, including at the 2008 Roots Picnic for a performance.
