Greg Kihn, the 'Jeopardy' singer-songwriter who inspired a 'Weird Al' Yankovic parody, dies at 75

The leader of the Greg Kihn band also penned the MTV-era hit, “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em).”

Greg Kihn, the rock singer-songwriter who scored big with his early MTV-era hits "The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)” and "Jeopardy," died on Tuesday at age 75.

Kihn died of complications from Alzheimers, after a long battle with the disease, publicist Michael Brandvold announced on Thursday. A private memorial celebration is planned, as is a public celebration of life concert, with details to come.

Born Gregory Stanley Kihn in Baltimore on July 10, 1949, he began pursuing his interest in music from a  young age. Kihn, who picked up his first guitar at 13, has cited watching The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as a particularly critical moment. He would later begin his career in his hometown, playing music of the folksy singer-songwriter variety.

Kihn then relocated to San Francisco in the early 1970s, where he would gain acclaim for his unique blend of folk, classic rock, blues, and melodic pop that would heavily influence the Bay Area music scene of the ‘80s.

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By 1976, Kihn formed the Greg Kihn Band alongside guitarist Robbie Dunbar, bassist Steve Wright, and drummer Larry Lynch. While they didn’t blow up, their records received strong reviews and the group soon built a reputation as a killer live act.

“We weren’t like the other SF bands,” Kihn told Music Recall Magazine in a 2018 interview. “Our music was derived from the British bands like the Who and the Faces. We were always writing new songs, and the fans came back week after week to see what we’d come up with. It was all about the songs, not the jamming.”

Following their first album, titled simply Greg Kihn, the group established a trend of pun-based titles, including, Next of Kihn, RocKihnRoll, Kihntinued, Kihntagious, Citizen Kihn, and Rekihndled.

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Kihn scored his first hit with “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em),” which got to No. 15 on the Hot 100 in May 1981. The group reached new heights with the release of their  1983 track “Jeopardy,” which became an MTV favorite and hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart (hindered only by Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”).

The song, about a relationship gone wrong, would gain yet more popularity when it was spoofed by "Weird Al" Yankovic, who penned the song, “I Lost on Jeopardy,” with a video featuring the titular show’s host and announcer, Art Fleming and Don Pardo. Kihn made an appearance as well, as the driver of a convertible.

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Kihn has maintained that he “loved” the Yankovic song. “It was a brilliant parody,” he said in 2018. “Al is a super talented musician. He invited me to appear in his video and I had a ball. God bless that man! I still get mailbox money from Weird Al!

Outside of music, Kihn published several horror novels and edited a collection of short stories featuring the writings of beloved rock figures, Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, and Joan Jett. He was also a popular morning host on the San Jose, Calif.–based station KUFX-FM (known as KFOX) for nearly two decades.

Reflecting on his radio stint in a 2022 interview, Kihn said, “I had great ratings, everything, but I think they fired me because they were paying me too much money for too long, and I can totally understand that.” But, he added, “The day that I got fired was the day I got inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame. So go figure.”

Kihn is survived by his his wife, Jay; children Ryan and Alexis; son-in-law Samora; grandsons Nate and Zuri; sister Laura; brother-in-law Lou; and nephews Larry, Lou and Matthew. Donations in his honor can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. 

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