Singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Gary Wright, known for his 1975 hit songs “Dream Weaver” and “Love is Alive,” died on Monday (September 4) at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California. He was 80.
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No cause of death was revealed, but Wright was battling Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia in recent years, according to his son Justin.
Born on April 26, 1943, in Creeskill, New Jersey, Wright first broke out with the British rock band Spooky Tooth, which broke up a second time in 1974 and had several reunions during the late ’90s and throughout the 2000s.
In 1970, George Harrison also invited Wright to play on his solo album All Things Must Pass album. Wright ended up playing piano and organ on the entire album and remained lifelong friends with the former Beatle.
By 1975, Wright released his album, The Dream Weaver, which was one of the first albums that nearly featured only synth and keyboards in its arrangements. He was also one of the first mainstream artists to introduce synthesizers into pop music.
“I didn’t know it would take off as it did when I made it,” said Wright of the album in 2010. “The theme of having only keyboards, drums, voices – and no guitars — came accidentally. I had just left Spooky Tooth, and I had a Minimoog, a Clavinet, a Fender Rhodes, a Hammond organ, and a little Rhythm Ace drum machine. And an Echoplex. So I used all that technology that was available back then in the writing of all the songs, with the exception of ‘Dream Weaver’ which I had written earlier on acoustic guitar.”
The Dream Weaver peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, and the title track went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, along with his other single, “Love Is Alive,” which was also covered by Olivia Newton-John in 1976 — along with Nancy Wilson, Chaka Khan, and Joe Cocker, among others — and peaked at No. 2.
Wright continued releasing music as a solo artist and segued into working on more film soundtracks by the early ’80s. He even re-recorded “Dream Weaver” for the 1992 comedy Wayne’s World. He released his final solo album, Connected, in 2010, and worked on numerous collaborations, including performing with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band on tour in 2008, 2010, and 2011.
In his 2014 book, Dream Weave: Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison, Wright described his nerves working with Harrison and co-producer Phil Spector on All Things Must Pass.
“Producer Phil Spector’s voice rang out from the control room into the studio where all the musicians were,” remembered Wright. “‘Wait a minute, wait a minute, who’s that on the Wurlitzer piano making all those mistakes?’ Devastated and utterly embarrassed, I meekly raised my hand and said, ‘Sorry it’s me, Gary. I’m still learning the structure of the song.’ George immediately walked over to me and said consolingly, ‘Take all the time you need. We’re in no rush.’ He was so kind at that moment. I immediately felt a rapport with him.”
[RELATED: Behind the Hopeful Meaning of “All Things Must Pass” by George Harrison]
Several musicians in the industry have shared tributes and remembrances of Wright, including singer and songwriter Stephen Bishop.
“Gary’s vibrant personality and exceptional talent made every moment together truly enjoyable,” said Bishop in a post on X (Twitter), along with a recent photo of him in the studio with Wright and musician John Ford Coley. “His legacy will live on for many years to come. I will always cherish the warmth and kindness shown to me by Gary and his wife Rose, and I will forever hold dear the stories he shared with me about days gone by. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans during this difficult time.”
Wright is survived by his second wife, Rose, whom he married in 1985, two sons Justin and Dorian, and a sister Lorna Dune.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
