Photo: Tom Whitlock | Thomas Ross Whitlock (February 20, 1954 – February 17, 2023) was an American songwriter and musician, best known for his Academy Award-and Golden Globe-winning song “Take My Breath Away”, from the film Top Gun, which he co-wrote with Giorgio Moroder.
Whitlock was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri. Many famous musicians visited the city as it hosted television show Ozark Jubilee, influencing Whitlock to play drums. Soon, he was a session musician working with notable composers like Wayne Carson, as well as a drummer for live bands. At the age of 15, Whitlock began writing songs at the piano. During his high school years at Glendale High School, in Springfield, Missouri, he divided his time between studying during the day and playing drums with rock bands on the weekends throughout the Midwest. He entered Drury University in 1971 to major in music. The university honored him as Distinguished Alumni in 1998, and with an honorary doctorate in music the following year.
In 1983, Whitlock traveled to Los Angeles, California, planning to start a band there. While helping his friend Dave Concors at the now defunct studio Davlen Sound Studios, Whitlock met famed composer Giorgio Moroder as he complained about brake defects in his Ferrari. Whitlock purchased some cans of brake fluid and proceeded to fix Moroder’s car. Moroder eventually hired Whitlock for work at his studio. In the meantime, he studied recording with Moroder’s engineer Brian Reeves, given the studio was busy with films such as Scarface, Flashdance and Beverly Hills Cop, and wrote his own songs. Prior to the production of the Top Gun soundtrack, Moroder found his songwriting partners Keith Forsey and Pete Bellotte unavailable, and knowing Whitlock was a lyricist invited him for the project. Whitlock and Moroder co-wrote five songs for Top Gun including “Take My Breath Away” and the Kenny Loggins hit “Danger Zone”. ASCAP shows 113 songs registered, performed by artists such as Berlin, Bonnie Tyler, Jennifer Rush, Michael McDonald, Ray Charles, Graham Nash, Falco, Diana Ross, Teddy Pendergrass, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle.
Whitlock and Moroder had other collaborations, for the films Over the Top, American Anthem and Rambo III, and also co-wrote the official theme songs for both the 1988 Summer Olympics (“Hand In Hand”) and the 1990 FIFA World Cup (“To Be Number One”).
In 2012, the Library of Congress honored Whitlock for his songwriting contributions. Whitlock was also drummer of the Missouri band, The Dog People, with Michael Granda (aka Supe Dujour), Jim Wunderle, and Terry Wilson.
Whitlock died at in Nashville, Tennessee, on February 17, 2023, at the age of 68. He had Alzheimer’s disease in his later years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Whitlock
Photo: Tom Whitlock
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Tom Whitlock, co-Writer of “Danger Zone”, “Take My Breath Away”, Dies at 68
