Blue-eyed soul singer
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made his name on the English pub rock circuit of the early '70s, and spent around a decade and a half cutting albums of traditional R&B, rock & roll, and country-rock. In addition to his recorded legacy as an avatar of American roots music, his original material was covered by artists from the worlds of rock, blues, and country, from Bob Seger and Bonnie Tyler to Lou Ann Barton and the Bellamy Brothers. And
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himself scored a surprise U.K. Top Ten smash in 1978 with "
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'," giving his likable, soulful style the popular airing many fans felt it deserved all along.
In August 1994,
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suffered a devastating brain hemorrhage that left him in a coma for five months. Unable to walk or talk upon his emergence,
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rehabilitated himself enough to begin writing songs again; at a late-'90s benefit concert in Edinburgh,
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's new collaboration with Will Jennings, "The Sun Goes Up, the Sun Comes Down," was performed by Bonnie Tyler, Paul Carrack, and Jools Holland.