WASHINGTON (JTA) — Doug Fieger, the lead singer for The Knack who wrote "My Sharona" for his Jewish girlfriend, has died.
Fieger died Sunday of cancer; he had been diagnosed with brain tumors in 2006. He was 57.
The Knack, an all-Jewish, Los Angeles-based group fronted by Fieger, earned plaudits and comparisons to the Beatles for their debut 1979 album, "Get the Knack." Its straightforward, hook-driven songs were seen as a breath of fresh air in the age of endless disco numbers and nihilistic punk.
Their signature song, Fieger said, was written for Sharona Alperin, who at 17 was 10 years his junior.
Co-written by Knack guitarist Berton Averre, the song’s bass-driven beat and shouted, libidinous chorus proved irresistible to club-goers.
The band had several other hits but could never replicate the success of the first album.
In a statement released Sunday to the media, Alperin said that "Doug changed my life forever. He left on Valentine’s Day, a day of heart and love, and that was Doug, all heart and love."
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