RIP the 'Invisible Man', Rod Temperton
Rod Temperton has died at the age of 66. He was known as 'the Invisible Man' but wrote some of the major hits of the seventies and eighties.
Temperton started his music career as the keyboard player in the UK band, Heatwave. Prior to joining Heatwave, Temperton had worked in a frozen fish factory. The band scored a global hit in 1975 with the song, Boogie Nights, which was written by Temperton. He also wrote the song, Always and Forever for Heatwave.
These hits attracted worldwide attention. Quincy Jones who was producing a new Michael Jackson album, contacted Templeton who ended up writing the hits Rock with You, Burn this Disco Out as well as the album's title track Off the Wall.
Temperton worked with Jackson again for his next album and wrote the mega hit Thriller.
He also wrote a number of songs for other artists, including George Benson (Give me the Night) and Donna Summer (Love is in Control). Other artists he collaborated with include Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, LL Cool J and Karen Carpenter.
In 1989, Temperton received an Oscar nomination for co-writing Miss Celie's Blues (Sister), from the soundtrack of movie, The Color Purple.
Michael McDonald's hit, Sweet Freedom, from the 1986 movie Running Scared, was also penned by Temperton.
