Robert John, the singer best known for his 1979 No. 1 hit "Sad Eyes," has died at age 79, as first reported by Rolling Stone.
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His son, Michael Pedrick, confirmed the death, though the cause was not immediately disclosed. Pedrick mentioned that John had been recovering from a stroke he suffered years earlier.
Born Robert John Pedrick on January 3, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York, John's music career began at the age of 12. Under the name Bobby Pedrick Jr., he reached No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958 with "White Bucks and Saddle Shoes."
Over his decades-long career, John charted 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including the 1979 hit "Lonely Eyes" and several cover versions throughout the '80s. These included renditions of "Hey There Lonely Girl," "Sherry," and "Bread and Butter."
Becoming Robert John
In the 1960s, John fronted the doo-wop group Bobby & The Consoles, which gained attention for songs like "My Jelly Bean." By the late '60s, he transitioned to a solo career. In 1968 he scored a No. 49 hit with "If You Don't Want My Love." He later changed his stage name to Robert John.
John's career peaked in 1972 with a cover of The Tokens' classic "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The single sold more than a million copies and held steady at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. But the ballad "Sad Eyes" was his biggest hit.
That song not only reached No. 1, but also knocked The Knack's "My Sharona" from the top spot. "Sad Eyes" was nominated for a Grammy and became a defining track in an era dominated by rock and disco. It remains on the playlist of "Yacht Rock" stations today.
In his later years, John lived in Las Vegas, performing sporadically in the 1980s and '90s. He is survived by four sons, several grandsons, his ex-wife Diane, and his partner Susan.
The news immediately led to a resurgence of "Sad Eyes" on most-streamed songs lists over the past several days.
