Cuba Gooding Sr.'s Body Found In Car In California, Coroner Confirms

WOODLAND HILLS, CA — An autopsy was pending Friday for soul singer Cuba Gooding Sr., father of Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., who was found dead inside a car in Woodland Hills. He was 72.

The Los Angeles Police Department reported that the body was discovered in a silver Jaguar about 1:10 p.m. Thursday in the 22100 block of Ventura Boulevard, between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Shoup Avenue. No other details were immediately released.

Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed the body was Gooding's. The vehicle Gooding was found in was seen pulling up to that street around 3:30 a.m., according to reports from the scene.

There were no obvious signs of foul play, and an autopsy was pending to determine the cause of death, which could be natural or accidental, Winter said.

Alcohol and drug paraphernalia were found in Gooding's car, according to NBC4.

Gooding was lead singer of the soul group The Main Ingredient and sang the 1972 hit "Everybody Plays the Fool."

By City News Service

Image of Cuba Gooding Sr. (left) via Phil Konstanin/Flickr; Image of Cuba Gooding Jr. via Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV/Flickr