Gary Wright, the singer best known for his hit singles “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive,” has died on Monday, aged 80. Wright’s son Dorian confirmed the news to Variety.
His son Justin told NBC News the cause was Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
“It is with great sadness that I received the news of my dear friend Gary Wright’s passing,” singer Stephen Bishop posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Gary’s vibrant personality and exceptional talent made every moment together truly enjoyable. His legacy will live on for many years to come,” added Bishop.
Wright was a child actor, performing in the Broadway production of “Fanny” with future “Brady Bunch” star Florence Henderson.
He was later a member of the English rock group Spooky Tooth and played piano on George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass,” album.
This began a friendship with the former Beatle, who Wright would later write about in his book “Dream Weaver: A Memoir; Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison.”
“I always had a feeling that God existed and was helping me,” Wright said in a 2014 interview. “It wasn’t really defined clearly but I knew there was something there and it wasn’t until I met George Harrison that I started to really begin to delve deeply into spiritual life.”
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Yet he will be best remembered for the mid-1970s hits mentioned above, which were part of a vaguely mystical, synthesizer-driven style of hit single of the era — Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle” is another example — and which saw him appearing on many music shows, wearing satin gear and rocking a keytar.
His first album for Warner Bros., “The Dream Weaver” — with a title track inspired by a trip to India with Harrison — was released in 1975, and while the single was a slow builder, by the following spring it was a major hit and Wright had become a big star.
However, it was nearly two years before he followed with “The Light of Smiles,” and his subsequent efforts did not approach his previous success.
His last charting single was 1981’s “Really Wanna Know You.”
In the following years, Wright specialized in instrumental and soundtrack work — although he made a surprise appearance in the 1992 film “Wayne’s World,” singing a re-recorded version of “Dream Weaver” — but he returned to more conventional rock music and issued a series of albums, with the last one, “Connected,” being released in 2010.
He toured frequently, as a solo act, with Spooky Tooth and with Ringo’s All-Starr Band.
Over the years, his songs have continued to be covered — Chaka Khan recorded a blazing version of “Love Is Alive” for her 1984 smash album “I Feel for You” — and sampled by artists ranging from Jay-Z to Tone-Loc.
Ambrosia co-founder David Pack paid tribute to Wright in a Facebook post.
“Starting with Spooky Tooth, I watched Gary evolve into a true music star. He was a legend with his breakthrough hits dream Weaver and my love is alive, as well as play keyboards on every George Harrison solo album,” Pack said.
“I truly believe Gary is in paradise and he and George are already working on new music.”
In addition to his work with Harrison, Wright was also a member of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band, touring with the group in 2008, 2010 and 2011.
Wright was married twice and had two children.
