Jim Seals, one half of the popular 1970s soft-rock duo Seals and Crofts, has died at age 80, Variety reports.
Along with his musical partner, Darrell “Dash” Crofts, Seals scored a series of hits during the 1970s, including three top-10 singles: 1972’s “Summer Breeze,” 1973’s “Diamond Girl” and 1976’s “Get Closer,” which all peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other notable songs include “Hummingbird,” “We May Never Pass This Way (Again)” and “You’re the Love.”
Seals and Crofts were longtime adherents of the Baháʼí faith, which influenced the theme of many of their songs.
A native of Sydney, Texas, Seals first began playing with fellow Texan Crofts during the 1950s. Around 1959, the duo joined the Los Angeles rock band The Champs shortly after that group scored a chart-topping hit with “Tequila.” During the early ’60s, Seals and Crofts played in Glen Campbell‘s backing band, The GCs, before going their separate ways for a few years.
After playing together again in the late ’60s in a band called The Dawnbreakers, Seals and Crofts decided to form a duo. They released a self-titled debut album in 1969. Their first hit came with “Summer Breeze,” the title track off their fourth studio album. Their final top-40 single, “You’re the Love,” reached #18 in 1978.
The duo went on an extended hiatus after they were dropped by their record label in 1980. Seals and Crofts occasionally reunited during the ensuing years and released a final album, Traces, in 2004.
During the 2000s, Jim teamed up with his brother Dan Seals — a member of popular 1970s duo England Dan and John Ford Coley — to play shows as Seals and Seals. Dan died of cancer in 2009.
On Facebook, John Ford Coley wrote of Jim’s death, “I spent a large portion of my musical life with this man. We toured together, he and Dash invited us to sing on Seals and Crofts records, and we played with him for years … I am very sad over this but I have some of the best memories of all of us together. Rest In Peace Jimmy. You and Dan finally get reunited again. Tell him and your sweet momma hi for me.“
Jim had lived in Costa Rica since 1980. He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Ruby, and several children.
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