Died On This Date (August 5, 2008) Robert Hazard / Wrote “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”
themusicsover Robert Hazard (Born Robert Rimato)
August 21, 1948 – August 5, 2008
Robert Hazard was an American singer/songwriter who gained popularity during the New Wave period of the ’80s. His biggest mark on pop music was writing “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” which was made into a massive era-defining hit in 1983 by Cyndi Lauper. Hazard also had a couple of hits of his own with, “Escalator Of Life” and “Change Reaction.” A life long fan of country music, his final few albums were country. Hazard died on August 5, 2008, following surgery for pancreatic cancer.
What You Should Own
Born into a musical family, Jeff Porcaro began playing the drums at an early age. His father was well-known session drummer, Joe Porcaro, and his brothers, Steve and Mike Porcaro are active studio musicians as well. Drum lessons began for Jeff at age seven, leading to a career as one of the most respected drummers of his time. At seventeen, Porcaro landed his first job, playing in Sonny & Cher’s touring band. By his twenties, he was playing with the likes of Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs. In 1977, Porcaro, Steve Lukather, and David Paich co-founded Grammy-winning rock band, Toto. Having sold some 30 million albums to date, they are considered to be one of the most successful mainstream rock bands of all time. Even with all that success, Porcaro had time to play on recordings by a who’s who of popular music, including Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, Paul McCartney, 
Lee Hazlewood was a country singer, songwriter, musician and producer whose work with Nancy Sinatra during the ’60s are essential records of the era. Hazlewood settled in Arizona as a disc jockey after being leaving the military in the early ’50s. He soon partnered with Duane Eddy as a songwriter and producer on such hits as “Peter Gunn.” During the mid ’60s, he began working with Nancy Sinatra, writing and producing “These Boots Are Made For Walking,” and many more. Hazelwood all but retired from music during the ’70s, but his songs lived on having been covered by such unlikely artists as Megadeth, Beck, Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch and the Tubes. He died of renal cancer at the age of 78.
