(January 30, 2026) He was a music man who combined front-of-the-stage talent with behind the scenes mastery. Today we say a sad goodbye Bryan Loren, a star who charted with his own hits while also supporting a who’s who of the music world. He was just 59.
Known as “The Wiz” for his keyboard and instrumental skills, Loren became a professional session player at 15. By the early 80s, under the guidance of noted Philly producer Nick Martinelli, Loren made his mark, working as a rising session musician. He also had stints in the popular Fat Larry’s Band and as part of the smooth vocal trio Cashmere.
Loren’s solo work began with his self-titled 1984 debut on Philly World Records, an album he wrote, played, produced, mixed, and engineered himself. The record featured the singles “Lollipop Luv” and “Do You Really Love Me?,” the latter of which stayed on the chart for 17 weeks. In 1992 he followed with Music from the New World on Arista Records. That set included “To Satisfy You,” notable for featuring Michael Jackson on background vocals—Jackson had passed on the song during his Dangerous sessions but agreed to contribute when Loren kept it for his own record.
Though his solo catalog was relatively short, Loren’s broader legacy lies in his collaborations and writing/production work. In 1990 he co-wrote and produced “Do the Bartman” from The Simpsons Sing the Blues. He also maintained a creative relationship with Michael Jackson during the late ’80s and early ’90s, working on material that fed into the Dangerous era and playing percussion on that album’s sessions.
Beyond Jackson, Loren wrote and produced for major artists across R&B and pop. He contributed “Feels So Good” for Whitney Houston, worked with Eric Benét, and co-wrote for Shanice (“The Way You Love Me”), and his credits extend to Sting and Barry White.
Over a four-decade career, Loren’s work moved between solo artist, session player, and behind-the-scenes creator. Even though he often stayed out of the spotlight, his fingerprints appear on records that helped define late-20th-century R&B and pop.
