The Lost Generation, a soul group originating from Chicago, Illinois, was formed in 1969 by singers Fred Simon, Jesse Dean, Larry Brownlee and lead vocalist Lowrell Simon, whose birth date is 18 March 1943; the ensemble quickly secured a contract with Brunswick Records. Their breakthrough came with the 1970 single "The Sly, Slick and the Wicked", which reached number 14 on the R&B charts and number 30 on the pop charts, establishing the band’s presence in the competitive soul scene. In the same year, the group released the album The Sly, Slick & The Wicked, followed by The Young, Tough and the Terrible in 1972, both issued on Brunswick; the singles from these releases entered the R&B Top 40, with "Someday" peaking at number 48 and "Talking the Teenage Language" at number 35. After a dispute over licensing and name rights, the band split from Brunswick and released the non‑album track "Your Mission (If You Decide to Accept It)" in 1974, which charted at number 65. The group disbanded thereafter, and former members pursued solo careers and new projects, while Lowrell Simon achieved solo R&B success in the late 1970s. The Lost Generation’s catalog was later compiled in the 1999 release The Sly, Slick and the Wicked / Young, Tough and the Terrible, preserving their contributions to American soul music. Larry Brownlee died in 1978, Jesse Dean in 2003, Lowrell Simon in 2018, and Fred Simon in April 2026.
