Singer Wayne Lewis, Founding Member of Band Atlantic Starr, Dead at 68

Wayne Lewis -- an R&B singer best known for starting up the group Atlantic Starr -- has died ... according to a Facebook post put up by the band.

The band shared the announcement Friday ... letting fans know Wayne passed away Thursday.

They asked fans to respect his family's privacy at this time. A cause of death was not provided. We've reached out to the band for more information.

Wayne founded Atlantic Starr alongside seven others -- including his brothers, David and Jonathan -- way back in the mid-1970s ... and, they moved from New York to L.A. for a chance at stardom.

Through the 1980s, Atlantic Starr released a series of popular R&B tracks ... including "Always," "Let's Get Closer," "Secret Lovers," "Am I Dreaming?" and many more recognizable hits.

The group's 1987 album "All in the Name of Love" went platinum in the U.S. ... though subsequent efforts didn't prove as commercially successful.

Atlantic Starr has a series of performances scheduled over the next few weeks --  it's unclear if they still plan to perform without Wayne. The current members of the band are Melessa Pierce, Shammah Carter and Wayne's brother, Jonathan.

Lewis was 68.