Lead singer of the group Classics IV

Dennis Yost, 65, the lead singer of the 1960s soft rock group the Classics IV, died Sunday at Fort Hamilton Hospital in Hamilton, Ohio, of respiratory failure, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Yost had been in failing health since suffering a traumatic brain injury in a fall at his home in 2005.

The Classic IV had a series of hits, including “Spooky,” “Traces of Love” and “Stormy.”

Yost, a native of Detroit, played drums and sang. He was an original member of the band, which formed in Jacksonville, Fla., where Yost was raised, in the early 1960s. In 1967, the band relocated to Atlanta, and a year later they had their first national hit with “Spooky.”

A year later “Stormy” was a hit, and “Traces of Love” made it to No. 2 in 1969. That same year, the group had a top 20 hit with “Everyday With You Girl.”

Buddy Buie, co-writer of the group’s songs with guitarist J.R. Cobb, said: “Dennis had an incredible voice -- just a great voice for love songs.”

The group eventually changed its name to “Dennis Yost and the Classics IV.”

Although the group’s lineup changed, Yost continued to perform with the group until 2005.