TULSA (CelebrityAccess) – Singer/Songwriter Dwight Twilley, best known for his pop hits “I’m on Fire” (1975) and “Girls” (1984), passed away Wednesday (October 18). His wife Jan confirmed the news of his death via a statement from Tulsa’s Church Studio, where “I’m on Fire” was recorded (comment below). His cause of death has not been revealed. He was 72.
“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.”
Twilley was born in Tulsa, OK, on June 6, 1951. He performed with the Dwight Twilley Band with Phil Seymour – when they decided to head to Memphis, TN and pursue a recording contract. The duo met Jerry Phillips, son of the iconic studio’s founder Sam Phillips. Sam brought artist Ray Harris into the mix and introduced the pair to “the Sun sound,” creating a unique new sound,” reports Twilley’s official website.
The duo signed to Shelter Records in 1974, co-owned by Leon Russell and Denny Codell. Their first single, “I’m on Fire,” became a national hit, peaking at No. 16 without any promotion. Twilley’s official website says their follow-up single and completed album went unreleased for 18 months due to a lawsuit between Russell and Cordell (due to Shelter’s move from MCA to ABC Records). Their B Album, recorded in England, was left there and never released. The duo’s follow-up single, “You Were So Warm,” failed due to distribution problems. Their debut album, Sincerely (1976), also encountered distribution issues and contained the song “I’m on Fire.”
Seymour and Twilley met, became friends with Tom Petty, and contributed backing vocals on several of his tracks. Petty repaid the favor for their second album, Twilley Don’t Mind, for Arista in 1977. Unfortunately, that album was not deemed a success, and Seymour decided to pursue a brief solo stint before lymphoma took his life in 1993.
Twilley carried on as a solo act, releasing Twilley for Arista in 1979 and Scuba Divers for EMI America in 1982. He found relevant success with Jungle in 1984 when he scored his second hit with “Girls.”
Throughout his career, he also released the 21-song “best of” collection XXI, a rarites collection, Between the Cracks, Vol. 1 and then 13 years later released Tulsa in 2001. The Luck album was released in 2001 but made in 1994, and 47 Moons was dropped in 2005.
In 2007, he signed to Gigatone Records with several Twilley releases, including reissues of Tulsa and 47 Moons (with bonus tracks), an album of Beatles covers titled Simply The Beatles (2009) and followed it with an album of originals in 2010 titled Green Blimp. His 11th album, Soundtrack, was issued in late 2011. His track “Lookin’ For the Magic” (2013) was featured in the major motion picture horror film You’re Next. The LP Always followed in 2014 before Twilley’s own label released The Best of Twilley: The Tulsa Years with songs ranging from 1999 to 2016 – a 40-side double CD.
His wife, Jan, survives him.
RIP.
