Gershon Kingsley, 1922-2019
by Rob Beschizza from on (#4WMQD)
Synth pioneer Gershon Kingsley is dead at 97.
Kingsley was most famous for his 1969 song "Popcorn," which was one of the first electronic singles to hit the airwaves. The song became a hit for the group Hot Butter in 1972, and Crazy Frog revived it again in 2005. (Aphex Twin and Muse have covered it, too). Kingsley also co-wrote "Baroque Hoedown," which was used as the theme song to Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade, with fellow synth pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey. His song "Rebirth" has been sampled in multiple hip-hop songs, including Freddie Gibbs' and Madlib's "Soul Right."
Kingsley joins musical partner Jean-Jacques Perrey, who died in 2016.