R.I.P. Alan O’Day. The man who wrote the Righteous Brothers hit ‘Rock and Roll Heaven’, Helen Reddy’s ‘Angie Baby’ and had his own hits with ‘Undercover Angel’ and ‘Skinny Girls’ has passed away at the age of 72.
Alan O'Day
Alan had been suffering from brain cancer.
Alan O’Day had his first success in 1971 when Bobby Sherman had a hit with his song ‘The Drum’. Cher then recorded ‘Train of Thought’.
His major songs for others were ‘Rock and Roll Heaven’ for the Righteous Brothers and ‘Angie Baby’ for Helen Reddy. Reddy had a number one hit in the USA with Alan’s song.
Alan recorded his first solo album ‘Caress Me Pretty Music’ in 1973 but it was ‘Undercover Angel’ in 1977 that gave his first global hit under his own name. It was a number one hit in America and earned O’Day the rare distinction of having both a number 1 hit for himself and another artist.
O’Day had one more major hit under his own name. ‘Skinny Girls’ reached number 11 in Australia.
Alan O’Day’s “day job” was as a songwriter for Jim Henson’s TV show ‘Muppet Babies’. He wrote over 100 songs for the show.
His last album was ‘I Hear Voices’ in 2008.
