Rod Temperton, a songwriter behind some of the biggest hits of all-time, died last week after a battle with cancer.
He was 66 years old.
You may not have heard of Temperton, but we can guarantee you’re familiar with some of his music.
For example, he wrote Michael Jackson’s "Thriller."
In response to news of his death going public, musicians quickly flocked to social media to share their sorrow over the loss of the talented writer and keyboardist, who spent many decades working with many famous artists.
This is what the Weeknd wrote on Twitter:
And Nile Rodgers:
While "Thriller" will always be his best-known song, Temperton also penned “Boogie Nights” by Heatwave in 1976.
He also wrote “Always and Forever” by Heatwave in 1977.
And “The Grooveline” by Heatwave in 1978.
Temperton played keys in Heatwave and was the group’s principal songwriter.
The aforementioned “Boogie Nights” was the group’s debut single and went on to be a giant international hit upon its release in 1976.
Temperton left Heatwave in 1978, but not before contributing “The Groove Line” and other tracks to the band’s second full-length album, Central Heating.
Following his departure from that group, Temperton was hired by acclaimed producer Quincy Jones to write for Michael Jackson’s first solo album in four years, Off the Wall.
Among the hits Temperton contributed was “Rock with You,” which became the second number-one single from the record.
And then he wrote "Thriller," which perhaps you’ve heard of.
Temperton continued his writing career by churning out singles for jazz artists looking to cross over (such as Herbie Hancock and George Benson) and soul divas, like Aretha Franklin and Donna Summer.
His partnership with Jones went on for years and their contribution to the soundtrack of The Color Purple, “Miss Celie’s Blues” (cowritten with Lionel Richie), led to them being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
May Rod Temperton rest in peace.