Today is a sad day as famous songwriter Rod Temperton has passed away at the age of 66. The British songwriter is known best for writing hits for Michael Jackson and Herbie Hancock.  Temperton has been battling cancer, but today the fight is over. The family is completely devastated by the news and has requested total privacy at this time.

The songwriter started his career just as a keyboard player/songwriter for Heatwave, the disco group, in which he produced the group’s hits like “Boogie Nights” and “Always and Forever” in the 1970s.  In 1978 he left the group to focus on his songwriting where he caught the eye of Quincy Jones who got him to write for Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall album.  Some of the songs that he wrote for the album include “Rock With You.” By 1982, Temperton helped write Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, writing tracks such as “Baby Be Mine” and “The Lady In My Life.”

With his contribution to “Thriller” he helped revolutionized music videos. He is credited for playing a role with infusing “Thriller” to its horror movie resemblance. This iconic song is a classic that will live on forever. The Thriller Album would become one of the best selling albums of all time. The music community mourns the loss of a legend in which musicians from all genres and generations shared their condolences and memories. His contributions to music will forever be remembered and apart of history.