Dwight Twilley, power pop great, dies at 72

Dwight Twilley, the power pop and rock singer who had hits in the ’70s and ’80s, died at his Tulsa home on Wednesday at age 72. No details of his death were shared, but Tulsa’s The Church Studio shared this statement:

With heavy hearts, we share the devastating news of Dwight Twilley’s passing. Today, he peacefully departed this world, surrounded by the love of his life, Jan, and close friends. The loss is immeasurable, and our words can’t capture the depth of our grief. Dwight’s musical prowess touched countless lives, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of many. We are profoundly thankful for the enduring musical legacy he has bestowed upon us all.

Born in Tulsa in 1951, Twilley began playing music in high school, finding a kindred spirit in Phil Seymour. Together they would form The Dwight Twilley Band, whose 1975 debut single, “I’m on Fire,” was a Top 20 hit and put the band in the emerging powerpop scene that included Badfinger, Big Star and Cheap Trick. (While from Tulsa, Twilley was not really part of the bluesy, swampy “Tulsa Sound” that included Leon Russell and JJ Cale, though they were signed to Russell’s Shelter Records.) The band broke up at the end of the ’70s and Twilley went solo, scoring a second Top 20 hit with “Girls” in 1984, and many of his videos were early MTV staples.

Though mainstream success eluded him for the most part, Twilley’s power pop cult status grew and he continued to make records. In 2014, he released Always which featured contributions from Mitch Easter (Let’s Active), The Posies’ Ken Stringfellow and more. A documentary about Twilley has been long in the works, but still no word on a release.

Rest in peace, Dwight. Check out a few of his songs, and read tributes from MTV’s Martha Quinn and Kurt Loder, below.