'80s Hitmaker Is Dead of Alzheimer's at 75

Gen X has lost another of its '80s rockers. The AP reports that Greg Kihn, frontman for the Greg Kihn Band behind "The Breakup Song" and MTV staple "Jeopardy," has died at the age of 75. In a statement, Kihn's management team says he died Tuesday of Alzheimer's disease. USA Today notes that Kihn's family chose not to publicize where he'd died. The Baltimore native kicked off his musical career in San Francisco, where he relocated to in the 1970s. After signing with Beserkley Records, Kihn saw his first big hit with 1981's "The Breakup Song," off of his sixth album, Rockihnroll.

That song rose to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but it was "Jeopardy," released two years later, that offered Kihn and his band the most fame, ascending to the No. 2 spot on the chart, behind Michael Jackson's "Beat It." And, like "Beat It," "Jeopardy" got the parody treatment from none other "Weird Al" Yankovic, who penned "I Lost on Jeopardy" the following year and gave Kihn's song "even more of an afterlife than it otherwise would have had," per Variety. "I loved his version," Kihn said in a 2018 interview. "It was a brilliant parody. Al is a super talented musician. He invited me to appear in his video and I had a ball." Kihn added: "I still get mailbox money from Weird Al!"

In the '90s, Kihn turned to DJing for the San Francisco Bay Area's KFOX, becoming a nationally syndicated radio host. The musician also penned short stories and horror novels, one of which, Horror Show, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Kihn's family, which will be holding a private memorial service, is asking mourners to donate to the Alzheimer's Association in his honor. "He was celebrated not only for his musical genius, but also for his ability to connect deeply with fans through powerful lyrics and unforgettable storytelling," a eulogy written by friend Skyler Turtle notes, per USA Today. "Greg related to and captivated his audiences with real world issues and hysterical tales from his Rock Star escapades." (More musician stories.)