In the late 1970’s, when disco, funk, and soulful ballads ruled the dance floors, few bands could match Heatwave’s range and originality. From the disco anthem "Boogie Nights" to the wedding classic "Always and Forever," Heatwave combined driving dance rhythms with creamy melodies to create a lasting sound and legacy. Their unique approach was in part the result of a remarkably international makeup. Led by brothers Johnnie Jr. Wilder and Keith Wilder, from, Dayton, Ohio, Heatwave included a keyboardist from England, a drummer who’d fled from Czechoslovakia, a bassist from Spain, and a keyboardist, Rod Temperton, who not only wrote most of their material, but eventually became the songwriter behind some of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits. With that kind of pedigree, Heatwave might have become superstars, but a series of violent and horrific tragedies, including murder and a car accident that left Johnnie Wilder paralyzed from the neck down, doomed the band at the height of their powers.
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