(September 3, 2014) In 1982, the band Survivor was thrust into the spotlight with the #1 hit from the movie Rocky III. “Eye of the Tiger” appeared to be the kind of hit that could either make a career or create a “one hit wonder” group. What’s worse, the group’s lead singer, Dave Bickler, had to resign from the group because of voice issues.
Fortunately, Survivor went on to a string of future hits, in part because of new lead singer Jimi Jamison, who sadly died of a heart attack on Sunday. With Jamison in the band, Survivor became a regular on both the rock and pop charts with hits like “I Can’t Hold Back,” “The Search Is Over” and “High on You.”
By the late 80s, Survivor was no more, but Jamison remained active as a solo artist. He released several albums and became a backing vocalist for several major acts, including ZZ Top. He also wrote and performed the theme song from the TV show Baywatch. Several times over the years, Jamison reunited with his Survivor mates for concerts, most recently rejoining the band in 2011. And he was incredibly involved in charitable endeavors ranging from the Special Olympics to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Jamison’s most recent album was 2012’s Never Too Late, which found him to still be in terrific voice and with a great sense of melody. He was a talent who created a lot of smiles in the 1980s and he will be missed.
By Chris Rizik
