Greg Kihn, a rock and roll musician best known for his '80s hit songs "Jeopardy" and "The Breakup Song," has died at 75. (Facebook/Greg Kihn)
- Kihn's unique songwriting style blended folk, classic rock, blues, and pop, leading to hits like "The Breakup Song" in 1981.
- "Weird Al" Yankovic's parody of "Jeopardy" gave the song an extended afterlife, which Kihn appreciated and participated in.
- Beyond music, Kihn had a successful career as a radio DJ and author, writing novels and short stories.
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SAN FRANCISCO — Greg Kihn, a rock and roll musician best known for his ’80s hit songs “Jeopardy” and “The Breakup Song,” has died.
Kihn died of Alzheimer’s disease on Tuesday, his management team said in a statement posted to Kihn’s website. He was 75.
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From Baltimore to San Francisco: Kihn’s Musical Journey
He was born on July 10, 1949, in Baltimore and moved to the San Francisco area in the 1970s. He was signed to Beserkley Records. With a songwriting style that blended folk, classic rock, blues and pop, his Greg Kihn Band had their first hit with “The Breakup Song,” released in 1981.
In 1983, the band’s song “Jeopardy” rose to No. 2 on the Billboard HOT 100 songs chart behind Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” The song was also seen and heard regularly in the early years of MTV.
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Wordplay and Tributes: Kihn’s Legacy in Music
Kihn’s albums often carried entertaining titles that played off his name — from “RocKihnRoll” to “Kihntinued” to “Kihntagious and “Citizen Kihn.”
Martha Quinn, an original MTV VJ, posted to that effect in her tribute Thursday on social media. “My condolences go out to his loved ones, and thank you Greg for the Rock KIHN Roll,” Quinn wrote.
“Weird Al” Yankovic did a parody of the “Jeopardy” song in the ’80s called “I Lost on Jeopardy.” Kihn said he loved it and that it gave his song more of an afterlife than it might otherwise have had, Variety reported.
“It was a brilliant parody,” Kihn said. “He invited me to appear in his video, and I had a ball.”
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Beyond Music: Kihn’s Diverse Career
Kihn was also a longtime DJ starting in the mid-1990s for KUFX radio in the San Francisco Bay Area and was a nationally syndicated nighttime radio host.
Kihn also wrote novels and short stories.
On his birthday in July, Kihn posted on his Facebook page — addressing his fans as Kihnfolk — thanking them for the birthday wishes and apologizing for not posting an update for nearly a year.
“After so many years of touring as well as doing radio shows … it’s finally time I get to chill out,” the post said. “Thank you to each and every one of you for all your love and support now and over the years. Rock on!”
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