Gary DeCarlo, Singer Behind Steam's 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,' Dies at 75
Last edited Thu Jun 29, 2017, 12:01 PM - Edit history (1)
Gary DeCarlo, Singer Behind Steam's 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,' Dies at 75
6/28/2017 by Colin Stutz
Though he sang the song, he was largely unrecognized throughout the hit's success. ... Gary DeCarlo, who sang and co-wrote the 1969 hit "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," has died from cancer. He was 75.
DeCarlo's friend Pat Horgan announced the news Wednesday (June 28) via Facebook. He told TMZ the musician passed away in hospice care in Connecticut with his wife by his side. DeCarlo had lung cancer that spread through his body. ... Last year, a GoFundMe crowd-sourcing campaign was launched to help pay for DeCarlo's medical expenses.
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In 1969 "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks and went on to become one of the nation's most enduring sports anthems. Despite writing and singing on the track, DeCarlo lived his life in relative obscurity. After he and two fellow studio musicians wrote, produced and recorded the song, Fontana Records assembled a band called Steam to perform it live and who were credited as the song's performers.
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Watch DeCarlo perform "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" in 2012 here: