Doug Fieger, 'My Sharona', Composer and Singer, Dies

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Lars Fieger, 57, lead singer of the rock group The Knack and composer of the 1979 #1 hit My Sharona passed away at his home in Woodland Hills, California on February 14, 2010—Valentine's Day. Doug had battled lung cancer for six years. He outlived, for many, many years, his doctors' prognoses.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100215/DE54918 )

Born in Detroit in 1952, and raised in Oak Park, Michigan, Doug was the middle son of the late June and Bernie Fieger. From his early years, Doug embodied his family's hard-driving nature. His mother, June, was the first woman organizer for the Michigan Federation of Teachers and led Michigan's first teachers strike. His dad, Bernard, was a Harvard educated labor and civil rights lawyer, who worked voter registration drives in Mississippi during the dangerous early civil rights days of the 60's.

While still in high school at Oak Park High, Doug wrote to the Rolling Stones Producer, Jimmy Miller, to ask for an audition. Unbelievably, Miller responded, and after hearing Doug and his band Sky in Doug's basement, signed Doug to a two album recording deal with RCA Records. Sky then traveled to England with Miller to record both their albums at Mick Jagger's home studio called "Stargroves", and at the Stones main studio, Olympic Sound.

In 1970, Doug moved to Los Angeles after graduation from high school, and, after Sky disbanded in 1973, he began composing songs for a new group he envisioned forming in L.A. The rest is history. Doug formed The Knack in 1977 with LA natives Burton Avarre on lead guitar, Prescott Niles on bass, and Bruce Gary on drums. The Knack became L.A.'s hottest club band, and there was a bidding war to secure the bands recordings rights. Capital Records, home of The Beatles, won.

The Knack's first album Get The Knack became an overwhelming success and the number one selling album of 1979 for the entire world. The monster hit My Sharona, from this album became the world's #1 single for that year. It continues to be played on a daily basis on radio, television commercials and in movies. The album also contained three other top ten hits, Good Girls Don't, She's So Selfish, and Frustrated.

Doug and The Knack toured the world on the albums success. The Knack was never a "one hit wonder" as some have mischaracterized; the bands next two albums, But The Little Girls Understand and Roundtrip, were successful by most measures although never attaining the status of the #1 Get The Knack.

The Knack continued to tour and record for the next 30 years, only stopping within the last year due to Doug's illness.

In addition to writing for The Knack, Doug penned hit songs for other recording acts, including the Grammy Award winning Manhattan Transfer song, Soul Food To Go on the award winning Brazil album. Doug also produced other acts and recorded with other artists on their records, including his long time friend Ringo Starr. He also regularly appeared as one of John Goodman's poker buddies on the hit TV show, Roseanne.

In person, Doug was brilliant, witty, with a wry and biting sense of humor. To those who loved him, his sometimes outspoken and argumentative nature (another Fieger Family trait) was recognized as a thin facade for a genuinely caring and gentle soul. Someone once remarked, tongue-in-cheek, that "Doug had more friends than he could shake a stick at, not that he didn't try."

In the Buddhist tradition, Doug will be wrapped in a shroud and left to lie in repose for three days. His remains will be cremated. A memorial in Los Angeles for relatives and close friends is pending. In lieu of flowers or contributions, the family hopes that you continue to fill your homes and hearts with music.  

Doug is survived by his older brother, Geoffrey, his younger sister, Beth Falkenstein, his nieces and nephews, Freya, Gretel, Julian, Aidan and Quinn, and hundreds of friends. He also remained very close to his former wife, Mia who was with him continuously at the end.

On behalf of Doug, his family wishes to thank all of his loyal friends and fans for their years of support and well wishes. Doug did not suffer. He is in a better place. And wherever he is, his love and music will continue to shower down upon all of us who remain in this mortal coil, forever.

SOURCE Geoffrey Fieger