Current:Home > MarketsGary Wright, 'Dream Weaver' and 'Love is Alive' singer, dies at 80 after health battle: Reports -VitalWealth Strategies
Gary Wright, 'Dream Weaver' and 'Love is Alive' singer, dies at 80 after health battle: Reports
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-10 04:23:37
Singer-songwriter Gary Wright, best known for his groundbreaking album "The Dream Weaver," has died. He was 80.
Wright died Monday at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, his sons Justin and Dorian confirmed to ABC News and Variety, respectively.
Wright’s son Justin told ABC News that his father had been battling Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia for the past six years.
USA TODAY has reached out to Wright's representative for comment.
Born in April 1943 in New Jersey, Wright found some success as the keyboardist for the British hard rock band Spooky Tooth. Following the group's disbandment, Wright devoted his efforts to his solo music career, releasing the albums "Extraction" and "Footprint" in 1970 and 1971, respectively.
Wright’s 1975 album "The Dream Weaver" became his breakthrough hit, boasting a pair of No. 2 singles in 1976: "Dream Weaver" and "Love is Alive." The soft rock album was also recognized as one of the first rock albums to feature only synthesizers.
"It was a big deal creatively because I had been working with basically a guitar-oriented band, which was Spooky Tooth," Wright told The Daytona Beach News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2011. "I had never consciously sat down and said, 'I'm going to do an all-keyboard album.' It just fell into place as I was writing the songs for the album."
The album went on to sell 2 million copies, and its title track "Dream Weaver" has been featured in films such as as "Wayne's World, "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and "Toy Story 3."
Wright also lent his musical talents to his peers. The singer played keyboards on Beatles guitarist George Harrison's 1970 album "All Things Must Pass."
Steve Harwell:Former Smash Mouth singer dies at 56: 'A 100% full-throttle life'
'He lived his life like a song':Jimmy Buffett, 'Margaritaville' singer and mogul, dies
Contributing: Rick De Yampert, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
veryGood! (843)
Related
- IOC's decision to separate speed climbing from other disciplines paying off
- A Northern California man has been convicted of murder in the beheading of his girlfriend last year
- Hit-Boy speaks on being part of NFL's 50th anniversary of hip-hop celebration
- Best Christmas movies to stream this holiday season: Discover our 90+ feel-good favs
- Your Wedding Guests Will Thank You if You Get Married at These All-Inclusive Resorts
- Tom Brady decries NFL's quality of play: 'A lot of mediocrity'
- The Excerpt podcast: Did gun violence activist Jose Quezada, aka Coach, die in vain?
- What stores are open on Thanksgiving 2023? See Target, Walmart, Home Depot holiday status
- What polling shows about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ new running mate
- D.C. sues home renovation company Curbio, says it traps seniors in unfair contracts
Ranking
- Small twin
- This Chilling New True Crime Series Will Change the Way You Think of Twisted Families
- New Jersey banning sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035
- Property dispute in Colorado leaves 3 dead, 1 critically wounded and suspect on the run
- Plunge Into These Olympic Artistic Swimmers’ Hair and Makeup Secrets
- 4 men found dead in a Denver suburb home
- Horoscopes Today, November 21, 2023
- Jalen Hurts leads second-half rally as Eagles beat Chiefs 21-17 in Super Bowl rematch
Recommendation
Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
Black Friday deals start early and seem endless. Are there actually any good deals?
J Balvin Reveals What Happened at Dinner With Britney Spears
Man found guilty of decapitating ex-girlfriend with samurai sword in middle of California street
Tony Hawk drops in on Paris skateboarding and pushes for more styles of sport in LA 2028
'Miracle dog' regaining weight after spending 2 months in wilderness by dead owner's side
Toyota's lending unit stuck drivers with extra costs and knowingly tarnished their credit reports
'Miracle dog' regaining weight after spending 2 months in wilderness by dead owner's side