Newwaveobit: Doug Fieger

He's been unwell for quite a while, but still a shock to hear of the death of Doug Fieger.

Fieger was lead singer of, and co-writer for, The Knack, one of the few bands who managed to broaden out the appeal of New Wave to the bar-room without knocking too many of the edges off.

Their peak was My Sharona, a 1979 hit in America and Britain; President Bush was revealed to have stolen an mp3 version of the song to keep on his iPod for when he was keeping himself busy at the White House.

E Online reports something Fieger said in a Detroit News interview just last month:

"Everybody knows they're going sooner or later. I don't know any better than anyone else when I'm going. I've had 10 great lives. And I expect to have some more. I don't feel cheated in any way, shape or form."

In a busy life, Fieger played briefly for German progrock band Triumvirat. This might sound like the sort of thing a wag appends to a recently-deceased person's Wikipedia entry, but it's true. The Germans had spent some time in LA - partly to avoid the West German draft - and recruited Doug. When the band relocated to Europe, Fieger grew tired of their disorganisation and quit, going on to join The Knack.

Fieger produced other acts, and provided guest vocals for Was (Not Was) and others, but it's this song which will always be playing whenever he's remembered: