Songwriter and singer Alan O'Day, who wrote tunes for such artists as the Righteous Brothers and Helen Reddy, then went on to land his own No. 1 hit in 1977, died at his home in Westwood, Calif. He was 72.
His label, 1st Phase Records, reported his death from cancer on Friday.
"Alan continued to write and perform until his last days," said a statement from the record company. "Alan was a generous man who gave his heart and soul to the music industry."
O'Day first signed with Warner Bros. in 1971 and wrote "Train of Thought" for Cher, "Rock and Roll Heaven" for the Righteous Brothers, and the No. 1 single "Angie Baby" in 1974 for Helen Reddy. Three years after that, he also topped the charts with his own single, "Undercover Angel."
In the next decade he paired with Janis Liebhart to share writing credits on many songs for the "Muppet Babies" cartoons. During his career, his songs were performed by other artists, including Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield and Tony Orlando.
The Hollywood Reporter quoted a statement from O'Day's friend and fellow songwriter Diane Warren: "My dear dear friend and mentor Alan O'Day has passed away. 'If you believe in forever, then life is just a one-night stand. If there's a rock and roll heaven, well you know they've got one hell of a band.' (From Alan's song 'Rock And Roll Heaven'). Well the band just got better. Rest in peace my friend."
He is survived by his wife, Yuka.
