Gareth Mortimer, the lead singer of 1970s Welsh band Racing Cars, has lost his battle with cancer and died at age 66.
Racing Cars were best known for the 1977 hit song ‘They Shoot Horses Don’t They’ from the album ‘Downtown Tonight’. The song reached no 14 in the UK and no 32 in Australia.
Mortimer formed Racing Cars in Rhondda Valley in Wales in 1973. They were one of the early signings to Chrysalis Records but despite having a hit with the first single from their first album never managed to repeat the success.
The band split in the late 70s and Mortimer released the solo album ‘Love Blind’ in 1980. Racing Cars reformed in 2000 and released two more albums but with little success. Gareth has also sang backing vocals for The Beach Boys and Bryan Adams.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Rhondda Fach Sports Centre in Tylorstown on Wednesday, December 23, at 11.30am.
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