Born on April 26, 1943, in Cresskill, New Jersey, Gary Wright was a singer, songwriter and musician best known for his 1976 hit singles “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive.” Gary Wright’s career spanned 60 years and included his acclaimed work with British rock band Spooky Tooth, his solo career, and stints with former Beatles members George Harrison and Ringo Starr. He began his career as a child actor and part-time musician before his career took a different direction and he went to school to study medicine and psychology. He continued playing music in his spare time and, after encouragement by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, Gary Wright moved to England where he co-founded Spooky Tooth in 1967 with former members of British rock band Art. Spooky Tooth released a series of albums including It’s All About (1968), Spooky Two (1969), The Last Puff (1970) and The Mirror (1974). While working with Spooky Tooth, Wright snuck out two solo albums - Extraction (1970) and Footprint (1971) – and worked with George Harrison on his solo albums All Things Must Pass (1970) and Living in the Material World (1973). Spooky Tooth split up in 1974 and the members went their separate ways. Gary Wright’s first solo album was 1975’s The Dream Weaver, which featured the singles “Dream Weaver” and “Love is Alive,” both of which reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. While he continued to release solo albums – including The Light Smiles (1977), Touch and Gone (1977), and Headin’ Home (1979) - and singles up through 2010, he never managed to scale the heights that he achieved with his The Dream Weaver album. As a session musician, Gary Wright remained busy, appearing on albums by B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Spector, and others. He also managed to fit other activities into his schedule including soundtrack work, occasional Spooky Tooth reunions, and touring as a member of Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band. Diagnosed with both Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease, Gary Wright died on September 4, 2023, at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California. He was 80 years old.
