Boy Band Star Rich Cronin Dies at 35

(NewsCore) - Rich Cronin, who led 1990s U.S. boy band LFO, died Wednesday after a lengthy period of ill-health, entertainment website TMZ reported.

The 35-year-old, who was raised in Kingston, Massachusetts, had been fighting leukemia.

He died in a hospital after suffering a stroke, a family member told TMZ.

Cronin was lead singer and main songwriter for three-man group LFO, which marked its biggest success when single "Summer Girls" reached No. 3 on the Billboard chart in 1999.

After being diagnosed with leukemia in 2005 he started the Rich Cronin Hope Foundation, to spread awareness of the disease.

Despite Cronin's health issues the band announced a comeback in 2009, but some months later declared they had broken up.

Fellow boy band star Lance Bass, from 'N Sync, was among those posting tributes to Cronin Wednesday.

"Sad sad day that Rich Cronin died -- was a amazing guy," Bass posted on Twitter.