R.I.P.: Gary Wright, Has Died From Parkinson's, Dementia

Gary Wright (1943-2023)

Singer-songwriter and keyboardist Gary Wright, best known as leader of the U.K.-based band Spooky Tooth and the back-to-back 1976 solo hits “Dream Weaver” and “Love is Alive,” died Monday. Wright died at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., following a long battle with Parkinson’s and dementia. 

He was 80, reports Bestclassicbands.com. 

Wright, who helped to popularize the synthesizer in the mid-1970s, was born in the New York City suburb of Cresskill, N.J., on April 26, 1943. He worked as a child actor on Broadway and attended several U.S. universities when he decided to try his luck with rock in London. He joined an existing band that changed its name to Spooky Tooth and signed with Island Records, which released the band’s debut album, It’s All About, in 1968.

Spooky Two followed in 1969 (released on A&M in the United States), which marked the end of the original lineup. Wright’s last LP with the band was Ceremony, a 1969 collaboration with electronic composer Pierre Henry, and their billing subsequently changed to Spooky Tooth featuring Mike Harrison.

Wright had already established a solo career concurrent with his involvement with Spooky Tooth, and released solo albums for A&M Records including 1970’s Extraction, with musicians that included bassist Klaus Voormann and drummer Alan White (later of Yes).