Veteran R&B Songwriter Rod Temperton (‘Thriller’) Dies at 66

Rod Temperton
Rod Temperton

*Rod Temperton, the songwriter who penned a number of Michael Jackson’s classic hits, died last week in London following a “brief aggressive battle with cancer,” Warner/Chappell CEO Jon Platt wrote in a statement. He was 66.

“His funeral was private,” Platt added. “He was often referred to as ‘The Invisible Man.’ He was the sole writer of multiple successful songs such as ‘Thriller,’ ‘Off The Wall,’ ‘Rock With You,’ [George Benson’s] ‘Give Me The Night,’ [Michael McDonald’s] ‘Sweet Freedom,’ [Heatwave’s] ‘Always & Forever’ and ‘Boogie Nights’ to name just a few. His family is devastated and request total privacy at this, the saddest of sad times.”

Rod Temperton. with Derek Gamble of Heatwave
Rod Temperton. with Derek Gamble of Heatwave

Before working for the King of Pop, Temperton played keyboards and was the primary songwriter for Heatwave, including the group’s hit singles “Boogie Nights” and “Always and Forever.” He performed with Heatwave for two of their albums – 1976’s Too Hot to Handle and 1978’s Central Heating – before moving into the songwriter role full time.

In 1979, Quincy Jones hired Temperton for what would become Michael Jackson’s first solo album in four years, “Off the Wall.” Temperton wrote the title track, as well as “Rock With You” and the closer “Burn This Disco Out.”

Three years later, Jones reunited with Temperton for Jackson’s “Thriller,” including the crafting of its horror movie theme.

“When I wrote ‘Thriller,’ I always envisioned this sort of talking section at the end, and didn’t really know what we were gonna do there,” Temperton said n a BBC Radio 2 interview. “But one thing I’d thought about was to have somebody, a famous voice in the horror genre, to do this vocal. Quincy’s wife knew Vincent Price, so Quincy said to me, ‘How about if we got Vincent Price?’ And I said that’d be amazing if we can get him.”

In addition to his Heatwave and Jackson hits, Temperton also wrote songs for Karen Carpenter, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Donna Summer, the Manhattan Transfer. McDonald and James Ingram also sang the Temperton-co-penned “Yah Mo B There.”

In 1989, Temperton, Jones and Lionel Richie’s “The Color Purple” song “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)” was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, where it lost to Richie’s White Nights theme “Say You, Say Me.”

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

Luenell - TMZ screenshot
Fruits
Kevin Hart
Michelle Bishop apologizes
Stephen A. Smith - Getty
AI-Trump with illegals migrants and ICE agents in the background
MLK Jr and Sexyy Red - via Grok AI
Byron Allen (Kyle Grillot-Bloomberg-Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Interior of plane first class
Snoop Dogg Donald Trump Nelly - via Grok AI
Otis Williams (Stefan Brending via Creative Commons)
Read More
Aaron Pierre - screenshot
Read More
George W. Bush - Donald Trump (Getty)
Read More
Jimmy Butler & Kaitlin Nowak - screenshot
Read More
Shamsud Din Jabbar - YouTube screenshot
Read More
WICKED: PART 1
Read More
New Orleans New Years Eve Terror Attack
Read More
“Carl Weber’s The Family Business: New Orleans”
Read More
Rymir Satterthwaite - screenshot
Read More
Allison Holker Boss and Stephen Boss - Getty
Read More

POPULAR

Luenell - TMZ screenshot
Luenell Slams Dave Chappelle's Plea for Compassion in Trump Administration | Video
Fruits
9 High-Protein Fruits Recommended by Dietitians
Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart Takes Over as CEO of Hartbeat
Michelle Bishop apologizes
Ohio Woman Denies Racism Allegations Amid Viral Trespassing Incident
Stephen A. Smith - Getty
Stephen A. Smith Defends Rappers' Trump Inauguration Performances
AI-Trump with illegals migrants and ICE agents in the background
Trump's New Policy Allows ICE to Detain Immigrants at Schools, Churches, and Hospitals
MLK Jr and Sexyy Red - via Grok AI
Oh, Hell Naw! Rapper Sexyy Red Deletes AI Image with Martin Luther King Jr. Amid Heat/Backlash from Bernice King
Byron Allen (Kyle Grillot-Bloomberg-Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Local TV Meteorologists Deliver Tearful Farewell As Stations Replace Staff with Byron Allen's Weather Channel Feed | WATCH
Interior of plane first class
Economy Passengers Use Sneaky Tactic for Free Drinks on Flights
1 2 3 8,514