Particle.news
Download on the App Store

John Forté Dies at 50 in Chilmark, Cause of Death Undetermined

A medical examiner’s ruling is pending under a standard state police review.

Overview

  • A neighbor found Forté unresponsive on his kitchen floor Monday and called 911 at 2:25 p.m., and he was pronounced dead at the scene with no foul play suspected.
  • Chilmark police said the Massachusetts State Police Detectives Unit will handle the case following the medical examiner’s report as a routine step for unintended deaths.
  • Family friends said Forté was hospitalized after a seizure about a year ago and had been taking medication to manage the risk of grand mal seizures, though no cause has been determined.
  • Forté was a Grammy‑nominated contributor to The Fugees’ 1996 album The Score and continued composing, including a 2024 score for a six‑part HBO series.
  • He lived on Martha’s Vineyard for roughly a decade with his wife, Lara Fuller, and their children, Wren, 10, and Hale, 7, and was a prominent figure in the island’s music community.