Twyla Herbert (born Twila Moody; July 27, 1921 – July 11, 2009)[1] was an American songwriter known for her long songwriting partnership with the singer Lou Christie.
Twyla Herbert | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Twila Moody |
| Born | July 27, 1921 Riverside, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 11, 2009 (aged 87) Phoenix, Arizona |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation | Songwriter |
| Instrument | Piano |
Beginnings
editTwila Moody was born in Riverside, California, and as a child moved with her parents to Pennsylvania,[2] where she married Earle Herbert (d.1982). In the late 1950s, Lou Christie was 15 years old when he met Herbert, a "bohemian gypsy, psychic, and former concert pianist," at an audition in a church basement in his hometown, Glenwillard, Pennsylvania.[3] Over 20 years older than he was, with flaming red hair, she was a self-described clairvoyant and mystic who allegedly predicted which of their songs would become hits.[4]
Collaboration
editThe pair co-wrote the great majority of Christie's hits, including "The Gypsy Cried", "Two Faces Have I", "Rhapsody in the Rain", "She Sold Me Magic", and most famously, "Lightnin' Strikes", a song later covered by such artists as Del Shannon and Klaus Nomi. Christie discussed their songwriting relationship: "Twyla is a genius. She was going to be a concert pianist but we started writing rock 'n' roll. The hardest part was that we had too many ideas. If we wanted to write a song, it would never stop."[5]
Herbert and Christie also composed for his backup singers, a girl group named the Tammys, a handful of songs, including the eccentric single, "Egyptian Shumba," which with its over-the-top, savage vocals and faux-Middle Eastern melody, has become a cult classic.[6]
Herbert died in Phoenix, Arizona in 2009, at the age of 87.[7]
References
edit- ^ Thedeadrockstarsclub.com
- ^ 1930 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Aliquippa, Beaver, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1995; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 9; Image: 386.0
- ^ Marsh, Dave. The Heart of Rock and Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Page 411. Da Capo Press, 1999.
- ^ Bronson, Fred. The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits. Page 193. Billboard Books, 2003.
- ^ Lou Christie & The Tammys: Egyptian Shumba Home Page
- ^ allmusic ((( The Tammys > Biography )))
- ^ Twyla Herbert, Legacy.com. Retrieved September 4, 2022
