Gary Wright, “Dream Weaver” Singer, Dies at 80
Gary Wright, the musician best known for his hit singles “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive,” has died. He was 80. Wright’s son, Dorian, confirmed the news Diversity; No cause of death was announced.
He was a founding member of the UK based band Spooky Tooth and was a popular session player from the late 60’s, appearing in all the bands George Harrison’s solo albums – including his landmark 1970 debut All Things Must Pass – and on Ringo Starr’s early singles (and much later with Starr’s All-Starr Band) as well as Nilsson, Tim Rose, BB King and many others. However, he will be best remembered for the aforementioned mid-1970s hits, which were part of a vaguely mystical, synthesizer-driven style of hit singles of the time – Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle” is another example – and who produced him performs on many music shows, wears satin attire, and rocks a keytar.
A New Jersey native, Wright was a child actor who appeared on Broadway in a version of “Fanny.” He later decided to become a doctor and traveled to Berlin to study medicine but continued to play in bands including one called the New York Times. While that group was touring Europe with Traffic in 1967, Wright met Chris Blackwell, founder of Traffic’s Island Records label – the two also had a mutual friend, Traffic/Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller – who was struck by the talent of the young musician was impressed and convinced him to come to London. There Blackwell teamed him with pianist Mike Harrison and drummer Mike Kellie, and with Wright on vocals and organist, Spooky Tooth was formed.
The band’s first two albums, It’s All About and 1969’s Spooky Two, both produced by Miller and with Wright co-writing every song, were non-charting successes but caused a stir among the musicians. circles. The members were all recruited for session work and their songs have been covered by many artists, with Three Dog Night performing “I’ve Got Enough Heartache,” Move regularly performing “Sunshine Help Me,” and Judas Priest performing “Better by You.” , Better Than Me.” However, the group’s third album, Ceremony, was a creative misstep and Wright left the band in 1970.
He signed to A&M Records and released a powerful solo album, Extraction, in 1970, and two musicians on those albums – drummer Alan White and bassist Klaus Voorman – put Wright in Beatles orbit. While Harrison recorded “All Things Must Pass” with producer Phil Spector, the latter typically requested more musicians. Voorman suggested Wright, who happened to be playing another session across town. When Wright got the call, he canceled the session and rushed over to EMI’s storied Abbey Road Studios, where he began a friendship with Harrison that would last for the rest of their life. He played on all of Harrison’s solo albums and several related projects, including Ringo Starr’s early singles It Don’t Come Easy and Back Off Boogaloo; Harrison even supported Wright in an appearance on American television’s “Dick Cavett Show” in 1971.
The following year he reformed Spooky Tooth and released two albums while continuing to work with Harrison, with whom he shared an interest in Eastern religions; The two traveled to India together in 1974.
After the reformed group broke up again, Wright moved to New York, teamed up with power executive Dee Anthony (who managed Humble Pie and soon-to-be superstar Peter Frampton) and signed to Warner Bros. Records. His first album for the label, The Dream Weaver — featuring a title track inspired by his trip to India with Harrison — came out in 1975, and while the single was slow to build, it was a huge hit by the following spring. Wright was into one become a big star. However, it was almost two years before he followed up with The Light of Smiles, and his further endeavors fell short of his previous success. His last chart single was “Really Wanna Know You” in 1981.
In the years that followed, Wright specialized in instrumental and soundtrack work – although he made a surprise appearance in the 1992 film Wayne’s World and sang a re-recorded version of “Dream Weaver” – he returned to more conventional rock music and released a string of albums, the last of which, Connected, was released in 2010. In 2004 he re-formed Spooky Tooth and has toured extensively, both as a solo act and with Ringo’s All Starr Band.
His songs have been covered over the years – Chaka Khan recorded a blazing version of “Love Is Alive” for her hit 1984 album I Feel for You – and sampled by artists from Jay-Z to Tone-Loc .
Additional reporting by Michaela Zee.
The best of diversity
Sign up for Variety Newsletter. Follow us for the latest news Facebook, TwitterAnd Instagram.
