Greg Kihn, known for the early ‘80s power pop hits ‘The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)’ and ‘Jeopardy’, has died at the age of 75.
The news was confirmed in a statement on the musician’s official website, which said he passed away on August 13 due to complications caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
“Known for his magnetic stage presence and unique storytelling that captivated audiences around the globe. He was not merely a musician but a cultural phenomenon whose influence will resonate for generations to come,” it read.
Kihn led the group The Greg Kihn Band for nearly five decades, and their most successful chart hit ‘Jeopardy’ – which reached Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100 – would go on to be famously parodied by ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic with his ‘I Lost On Jeopardy’ in 1984.
He was born on July 10, 1949 in Baltimore and was inspired into a career in music by The Beatles’ legendary performance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
He was signed to Berserkley Records in 1973, sharing the label with the likes of Jonathan Richman and The Rubinoos, quickly becoming associated with the Bay Area power pop sound.
“We weren’t like the other SF bands,” he said in 2018, however. “Our music was derived from the British bands like The Who and the Faces. We were always writing new songs, and the fans came back week after week to see what we’d come up with. It was all about the songs, not the jamming.”
He released his first, self-titled album in 1976 and maintained a prolific output over the following decade.
He also became a successful novelist, writing four horror fiction novels, beginning with Horror Show in 1996, which was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel.
Kihn claimed to be thankful for Yankovic’s spoof of his best known song, recognising that it helped his composition live on in the collective memory for longer than it might have otherwise.
“I loved his version of ‘I Lost on Jeopardy’,” he said. “It was a brilliant parody. Al is a super talented musician. He invited me to appear in his video and I had a ball. God bless that man! I still get mailbox money from Weird Al!”
Kihn is survived by his wife Jay Arafiles-Kihn, his son Ryan, daughter Alexis and two grandchildren.
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