Gary Wright: Spooky Tooth singer dies at 80

Gary Wright (1943-2023) is dead. The American singer and keyboardist died on Monday (September 4, 2023) in California. He was 80 years old. His son Dorian confirmed his father’s death. The cause of death is not yet known.

Gary Wright began his career in show business as a child actor. He later studied medicine, including at the Free University in Berlin. At the same time he played in various bands. Eventually, Wright became keyboardist and one of the two vocalists for the British blues rock band Spooky Tooth.

Friend and studio musician of ex-Beatle George Harrison

Spooky Tooth also produced successful albums, but they were especially respected among musicians. In the early 1970s, Gary Wright became a frequently booked session musician. He was featured on All Things Must Pass, the first solo album by former Beatle George Harrison (1943-2001). The two became close friends, and Wright continued to appear on Harrison’s subsequent albums.

Gary Wright also worked with another ex-Beatle: Ringo Starr (83). He also played piano on Harry Nilsson’s (1941-1994) hit “Without You” (later re-recorded by Mariah Carey). Gary Wright was also involved in Phil Collins’ (72) album “Face Value” from 1981.

“Dream Weaver” inspired horror cult film

In the mid-1970s, Gary Wright was also successful solo. His biggest hit in English-speaking countries was “Dream Weaver” in 1975, which reached number two on the Billboard charts in the United States.

Director Wes Craven (1939-2015) once revealed that “Dream Weaver” inspired his horror cult film “Nightmare – Murderous Dreams” about the dream killer Freddy Krueger. Gary Wright re-recorded his biggest hit in 1992 for the comedy Wayne’s World, another cult film.

In 2014, Gary Wright published his autobiography, which among other things deals with his friendship with George Harrison. Six years before his death, the musician was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia.