Songwriter Rod Temperton Dies

Rod Temperton, the “Invisible Man” in the music industry, was the songwriter behind Michael Jackson’s hit singles “Thriller,” “Rock With You “, and “Off The Wall”. He died last week in London following a brief battle with cancer. He was 66.

Born in England, he later became the keyboardist and primary songwriter for the disco-funk group Heatwave, writing the group’s smash singles “Boogie Nights” and “Always and Forever”. In addition to his Heatwave and Jackson hits, he wrote songs for the greats like, Karen Carpenter, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Donna Summer, the Manhattan Transfer.