Gary Wright (born 1943)

Singer best known for his song Dream Weaver.[91]

What is Gary Wright (born 1943) known for?

Gary Malcolm Wright, born April 26, 1943, in Cresskill, New Jersey, USA, was a talented American musician and composer widely recognized for his 1976 hit songs "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive". Wright's prolific career launched with the release of his breakthrough album, 'The Dream Weaver' in 1975, following seven fruitful years spent in London. There, he played a variety of roles, including being a member of the British blues rock band 'Spooky Tooth' and a solo artist on A&M Records.

While in England, Gary played keyboards on former Beatle George Harrison's triple album 'All Things Must Pass' in 1970. This collaboration marked the beginning of a friendship that inspired many Indian religious themes and spiritual elements in Wright’s subsequent songwriting. From the late 1980s, his work began to embrace world music and the new-age genre.

Before his musical career, Wright was a child actor and performed on Broadway in the hit musical 'Fanny'. He later studied medicine and psychology in New York and Berlin. After meeting Chris Blackwell of Island Records in Europe, Gary moved to London, where he helped establish Spooky Tooth as a popular live act and served as the band's primary songwriter. Some of their well-regarded albums include 'Spooky Two' (1969) and 'You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw' (1973).

During the early 1970s, Wright played on notable recordings by B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, and Ronnie Spector. His musical association with Harrison continued until shortly before Harrison's death in 2001. Gary later turned to film soundtrack work in the early 1980s, even re-recording his most popular song, "Dream Weaver", for the 1992 comedy 'Wayne's World'.

After the Spooky Tooth reunion tour in 2004, Wright performed live frequently, either as a member of Starr's All-Starr Band or with his own live band. His most recent solo albums included 'Waiting to Catch the Light' (2008) and 'Connected' (2010). All these were issued on his Larklio record label. In 2014, Jeremy P. Tarcher published Wright’s autobiography titled 'Dream Weaver: Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison'.

Gary Wright passed away at the age of 80 on September 4, 2023, in Palos Verdes Estates, California, leaving behind a legacy of achievements in the world of music.