OBITUARIES: J. Geils, 71

Guitarist and band leader J. Geils of Groton has died at the age of 71. Groton police said officers responded to Geils' home around 4 p.m. Tuesday for a well-being check and found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene. "A preliminary investigation indicates that Geils died of natural causes," police said in a statement. Geils was a resident of Groton for 35 years.

As leader of The J. Geils Band, the group had 17 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including 10 top 40-charting hits. The band's biggest single, "Centerfold," spent six weeks at No. 1 and "Freeze-Frame" peaked at No. 4. He played locally, with Grotonites, including guitarist Gary Wilson and violinist Stuart Shulman. More information will appear in next week's Groton Herald.