This is sort of a break from songs about diseases, but it's still covid-19 related. Adam Schlesinger who wrote "That Thing You Do!" for the 1996 movie of the same name, died less than a week ago of COVID-19 related complications.
I'll admit that I'm not really familiar with the breadth of Schlesinger's music. I was never much of a fan of Fountains of Wayne or the other bands he formed. But I am aware of one specific contribution he made to the world of music. "That Thing You Do!" is a perfect little pop song.
The amazing thing about "TTYD!" is that it had to be a hit. Schlesinger's assignment: Write something that sounds like a pop song from thirty years ago. And it has to sound like it could have been a hit. But more than that, it has to sound like the kind of hit that can bring a band from obscurity to national prominence. And that's what he delivered. I remember watching the movie on cable at a family friend's house. When the song came on and I gushed over it, the friend said that she remembers it from when it was a hit in the '60s. That's how good a job Schlesinger did with it.
Adam Schlesinger, RIP.
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