Dwight Twilley, Singer and songwriter of ‘I’m on Fire’ and ‘Girls’ passed away at 72.
Dwight Twilley, an American pop/rock singer and songwriter, passed away at 72 on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. He was best known for his Top 20 hit singles’ I’m on Fire’ and ‘Girls’.
What happened to Dwight Twilley?
He died surrounded by loved ones. The details of his death have not been made public.
The Church Studio, where Twilley recorded several of his songs, including ‘I’m on Fire,’ shared the news of his passing in a post on social media, which his wife Jan confirmed. The statement said,
“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.”
The Studio also said it would provide further details as they honour and remember the music legend.
Who was Dwight Twilley?
Dwight Twilley was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 6, 1951. He graduated from Edison High School and attended Northeast Oklahoma A&M College from 1971 to 1973. He met with Phil Seymour at a theatre in 1967, and soon they started writing and recording together. They named their band Oister. Twilley wrote all the songs and played piano and guitar. Seymour played drums and bass. They both sang leads and harmonies. Later, guitarist Bill Pitcock IV joined them and played lead guitar on most of their tracks.
Twilley and Seymour eventually left Oklahoma and went to Memphis, Tennessee, to be discovered. With the help of luck, they wandered into Sun Studio, where they met Jerry Phillips, son of the Studio’s founder, Sam Phillips, and referred them to Ray Harris. He introduced them to rockabilly and flavoured their music with a ‘unique and endearing sound’ in Twilley’s own words.
Twilley and Seymour signed with Shelter Records in 1974. The record label changed their band’s name to The Dwight Twilley Band, and they recorded ‘I’m on Fire’ at Church Studio in Tulsa. The song made it to no.16 on the Billboard charts in 1975. They worked on an album which suffered delay due to a lawsuit between the label’s owners, due to which it never reached its potential success.
Twilley and Seymour parted ways in 1978, shortly after their band’s sophomore album, ‘Twilley Don’t Mind’. Twilley released his solo album in 1979. He went on to release various as a solo artist, bouncing from one record label to another and released his album in 1984, ‘Jungle’, which featured his second hit song, ‘ Girl’, which also reached no. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. His critically acclaimed song ‘Looking for the Magic’ (1997) has been featured in several films and TV series such as ‘Diary of a Teenage Girl,’ ‘House of Cards,’ and ‘Mindhunters.’ His last album, ‘Always,’ was released in November 2014 through his own label, Big Oak Records.
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