Current:Home > MarketsGary Wright, 'Dream Weaver' and 'Love is Alive' singer, dies at 80 after health battle: Reports -Wealth Legacy Solutions
Gary Wright, 'Dream Weaver' and 'Love is Alive' singer, dies at 80 after health battle: Reports
View
Date:2025-04-16 13:10:03
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! (1)
Related
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- AP Top 25: Oregon, Penn State move behind No. 1 Texas. Army, Navy both ranked for 1st time since ’60
- Spike Lee’s 1st trip, Michael Jordan’s welcome to newcomers and more from basketball Hall of Fame
- 2025 Social Security COLA: Your top 5 questions, answered
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- When is daylight saving time ending this year, and when do our clocks 'fall back?'
- Ruth Chepngetich smashes woman's world record at Chicago Marathon
- When is daylight saving time ending this year, and when do our clocks 'fall back?'
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Bath & Body Works Apologizes for Selling Candle That Shoppers Compared to KKK Hoods
Ranking
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp' players: A guide to the actors who make his 'Fiction' iconic
- Who plays on Monday Night Football? Breaking down Week 6 matchup
- Drake Celebrates Son Adonis' 7th Birthday With Sweet SpongeBob-Themed Photos
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Bears vs. Jaguars in London: Start time, how to watch for Week 6 international game
- Olympians Noah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield Are Engaged
- Opinion: Harris has adapted to changing media reality. It's time journalism does the same.
Recommendation
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
How did Ashton Jeanty do vs Hawaii? Boise State RB's stats, highlights from Week 7 win
Sister Wives' Kody Brown Calls Ex Janelle Brown a Relationship Coward Amid Split
Indigenous Peoples Day celebrated with an eye on the election
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Shark Tank's Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner and More Reveal Their Most Frugal Behavior
Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson has surgery on fractured tibia, fibula with no timeline for return
Week 6 fantasy football rankings: PPR, half-PPR and standard leagues