William Hart

William "Poogie" Hart (born January 17, 1945, in Washington, D.C. died July 14, 2022) was an American soul singer, songwriter, and producer, best known as a founding member of the musical group the Delfonics.

Early life

Hart was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as one of eight children for Wilson and Iretha Hart. He went to Philadelphia public schools and attended Overbrook High School where he and his younger brother William were in different vocal groups.

Career

With The Delfonics

Wilbert and William formed the Delfonics in 1965, with William as their primary songwriter, often in collaboration with Thom Bell. Between 1968 and 1974, The Delfonics had a string of hit singles on Philly Groove Records that included "La-La - (Means I Love You)", "Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)", and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" among several others that reached the Billboard R&B and Pop charts. In 1971 the group won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance, and were featured in the first live televised performance of that ceremony. Also in 1971, the group was awarded a Gold Record for "Didn't I (Blow My Mind This Time)".

After several years of hit singles, The Delfonics split into two groups in 1975, with Wilbert and William each leading their own units. The brothers were involved in a legal dispute over the use of the group name, with a judge ruling in 2007 that both could use the name while properly informing the audience of the distinction between the two groups. Henceforth, Wilbert's version was called Wil Hart & The Delfonics, or Wil Hart formerly of the Delfonics.

In 1995, Hart and the other original members of The Delfonics were inducted into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame. 

The Delfonics were inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Class of 2014.