Songwriter and artist Alan O’Day died at his home in Westwood, Calif., after a battle with cancer.
A Southern California native, O’Day signed with Warner Bros. Music in 1971. He wrote “Train of Thought” for Cher, “Rock and Roll Heaven” for the Righteous Brothers and “Angie Baby” for Helen Reddy. In 1977, O’Day released the solo effort “Undercover Angel,” which became a No. 1 Billboard hit.
O’Day co-wrote “There’s Only One Ariel” for Disney’s Little Mermaid, as well as nearly 100 songs for the television series Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies.
In February 2013, 1st Phase Records country-recording artist Paul Scott released his debut album Make Me Believe featuring two songs co-written by O’Day, “NASCAR Crazy” and “Uh-Uh (What She Wants).” O’Day’s songs were also recorded by Olivia Newton-John, Anne Murray, Three Dog Night, John Kay, Dave Mason, Johnny Mathis, The 5th Dimension, Larry Carlton, Captain & Tenille, Tom Jones, Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, John Travolta, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Sherman, David Clayton Thomas, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Paul Anka and Gene Pitney.
Funeral services are pending.
About the Author
Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.View Author Profile
