Dwight Twilley
One of the great musical cult heroes, Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Dwight Twilley burst onto the scene with an all-time classic debut single, “I’m on Fire” (U.S. Top 20, 1975). Recording with musical partner Phil Seymour and guitarist Bill Pitcock IV as the Dwight Twilley Band, with Dwight writing all the material, they brilliantly fused Elvis Presley with The Beatles to create an utterly distinctive and timeless power pop sound. Twilley and Seymour split before the end of the ’70s, each launching solo careers. While Dwight scored another Top 20 as a solo artist with MTV favorite “Girls” (1984), contractual issues continually slowed Twilley’s progress throughout the ’70s and ’80s, denying him the chance to become the major star that many predicted. Yet the undeniable quality of his records has ensured that Dwight Twilley’s music is continually ripe for discovery. If your record collection includes the likes of The Beatles, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Eric Carmen, Lindsey Buckingham, Alex Chilton, Marshall Crenshaw and Matthew Sweet, then Dwight Twilley is right up your street.
Did you know?
- Dwight Twilley was closely linked with Tom Petty. He sang backup on Petty’s debut album while Petty appeared in Twilley’s band on early TV appearances and sang on Twilley’s 1984 hit “Girls,” among other collaborations
- The Dwight Twilley Band song “Looking for the Magic” has memorably featured in the horror film You’re Next and the Netflix series House of Cards
- The song “Why You Wanna Break My Heart,” made famous in the Wayne’s World movie, was written by Dwight Twilley and originally appeared on his Jungle album