Bruce Williamson, lead singer of The Temptations, dies at 49 from coronavirus

Bruce Williamson, the former lead singer of The Temptations, has died aged 49.

TMZ first reported the tragic news, stating he passed away Sunday night at his home in Las Vegas after battling coronavirus.

"There's no words in the world that can express how I feel right now," Williamson's son Bruce wrote via Facebook. "I love you Daddy thank you for being awesome thank you for being loving thank you for being Who You Are I pray to God and we will meet again. I love you Daddy R.I.H KING WILLIAMSON."

On Monday, Bruce Jr., 28, livestreamed on Facebook to talk about his father.

"A lot of us loved him," he cried. "My dad was a great dude.

"In my eyes, we lost an icon. I'm going to make sure his legacy lives on."

Williamson joined The Temptations in 2006 and continued performing with the group until 2015. He then went on singing soul and was due to perform in a pay-per-view concert at the end of this week.

"I never lost the dream of wanting to be a Temptation," he told Chapter & Verse Network in 2016. "But I didn't want to be an imitation or one who impersonates my predecessors. I wanted to be myself."

The Temptations were founded in Detroit in 1960, with their original lineup including Otis Williams, David Ruffin, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks. Their hit songs include 'My Girl' and 'The Way You Do the Things You Do.'