Doug Fieger 1952-2010 - Lead Singer of The Knack

[Zoneboy]

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Doug Fieger, the lead singer of the rock band The Knack, has died after a battle with cancer, his brother, the prominent Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger, confirmed today.

He was 57.

Fieger sang lead vocals on the 1979 hit "My Sharona," which held the No. 1 spot for six weeks.


He attended Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School in Oak Park and Oak Park High School.

Geoffrey Fieger said the family will issue a statement later today.

Fieger was living in Woodland Hills, Calif. and was being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

"Everybody knows they're going sooner or later," Fieger told Detroit News columnist Neal Rubin in a January interview. "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."

Detroit native Jaan Uhelszki, a former editor at Creem Magazine in Detroit who is now a music writer based on the West Coast, knew Doug Fieger when he had the band Sky, which predated The Knack.

"He had a radiant talent," she said. "He was determined and pugnacious with big dreams, most of which he achieved."

Aaron Goff, who taught both Fiegers at Oak Park High School, remembers Doug as talented but less outgoing and bombastic than his brother Geoffrey.

"He was a nice young man," Goff said. "He wasn't extroverted like Geoffrey. He kept to himself a little more."

But Detroit News columnist Laura Berman, who grew up next door to the Fiegers in Oak Park, said she never doubted Doug Fieger was headed for stardom.

"He was one of the most extraordinary people that I ever met," Berman said. "He was the pied piper. He was so charismatic and admired that people would just follow him everywhere."

Fieger was always putting on dramatic productions -- staging his own funeral with his brother Geoffrey's help when he was about 10 and Samuel Beckett's theater of the absurd classic "Waiting for Godot" in high school, she said.

"I'm more surprised that he wasn't a big star all his life than I am that he became a star," Berman said. "He always felt destined for stardom and intent on making himself a star."

[Zoneboy]

Rocket O' Love

My Sharona

Baby Talks Dirty

Good Girls Don't

[catlover79]

"My Sharona" was the #1 song the day I was born!

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by catlover79

"My Sharona" was the #1 song the day I was born!

It was also the #1 song the day I became a teenager.



I owned that 45 and yes, her name really was Sharona.

I probably bought it just for the picture.

[ABlairican Pie]

Wow, I remember 30 years ago in the summer of 1979, The Knack were the biggest thing on the planet. They were about to become "the next Beatles", but their songs were a little too "sexist" for a lot of people, and there was a "Knuke the Knack" campaign. They didn't stay too popular after that.


I remember a while back when their drummer died. He was a good drummer, but some people had problems when he was asked to play drums on tracks for
a posthumous Jimi Hendrix album over ten years ago.

[robyrob]

[Brian Damage]

[Marvo301]

Doug Fieger

[dakert]

I liked The Knack--I liked Disco. Why is it always the Fun things that leave us too soon BUT Rap is still here???????

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by dakert

I liked The Knack--I liked Disco. Why is it always the Fun things that leave us too soon BUT Rap is still here???????

I know what you mean.

Ironically, 1979 was the year that rap made it into the popular culture. "Rappers Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, which ripped off the disco song "Good Times" by Chic.

My response to the early rap?

"It'll be around for a year or two."

Good thing I never worked for a record company.

[Zoneboy]

Sharona Alperin subject of the song, MY SHARONA issues statement on singer Doug Fieger's passing.

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Sharona Alperin, “The little pretty one” who the late Doug Fieger sang about in iconic song MY SHARONA by The Knack issues the following statement of the passing of her dear friend

PR Log (Press Release) – Feb 16, 2010 – Doug Fieger wrote a song about me that changed both of our lives forever. "My Sharona" became an iconic smash hit, and even though Doug and I didn't end up together, we remained close friends through all these years. His searing wit, love of music and ability to recall the B side of any 45, his gift for making friends and keeping them for decades, and his incredible optimism in the face of the toughest challenge remained vital until the very end.

Since the song first hit the airwaves more than 30 years ago, whenever I meet someone new or give my name, the response is always the same, "Oh, Sharona, like "My Sharona?" The fact this continues to happen daily, no matter the person’s age, serves as a testament to the enduring impact of Doug's amazing talent.

He may no longer be with us, but his love for life and passions will live on through his music. My family and I deeply mourn the passing of our good friend, Doug Fieger.

About Sharona Alperin

Sharona Aperin is one of the most successful and sought after real-estate professionals in Southern California. A life-long Los Angeles resident, Alperin has carved out a niche as the go to source among the entertainment community however she is happy to help anyone find their dream home.

Alperin attributes some of her success to the fact that when she was only 17, she was immortalized in the Knack's 1979 hit single "My Sharona".

Sharona believes that "'My Sharona' has had an impact on my ability to understand the entertainer's mind, there's something simpatico. You've got to care to the n'th degree. You can't drop the ball for one minute." I sell "the most emotional product on the market, because a star's home is their only safe haven."

Sharona's 'round-the-clock commitment has resulted in her being consistantely ranked as a top producer at Sotheby's International Realty for more than a decade. "I do what it takes to get my clients their dream home because their happiness is my happiness." Sharona specializes in her clients' needs whether it's finding a lease, a purchase or selling a home. Her depth of knowledge and experience has made Sharona Alperin one of Los Angeles' premiere real estate professionals.

Sharona, her husband Jason, and their two children Eden and Adam reside in Los Angeles.

http://www.mysharona.com