Kihn of rock and roll: Greg Kihn of ‘80s ‘Jeopardy’ song fame dies at 75

Aug. 16, 2024, 7:45 a.m.

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Greg Kihn, a rock and roll musician widely recognized for his 1980s hits “Jeopardy” and “The Breakup Song,” has passed away.

Kihn succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease on Tuesday, as confirmed in a statement released by his management team on Kihn’s website. He was 75 years old.

Born on July 10, 1949, in Baltimore, Greg Kihn relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s. He signed with Beserkley Records. Blending folk, classic rock, blues, and pop in his songwriting, his band, the Greg Kihn Band, achieved their initial success with “The Breakup Song,” released in 1981.

In 1983, the band’s song “Jeopardy” reached No. 2 on the Billboard HOT 100 songs chart, trailing only Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” The song also gained significant exposure during the early days of MTV.

Kihn's albums often had fun titles that played off his name - from "RocKihnRoll" to "Kihntinued" to "Kihntagious and "Citizen Kihn."

Martha Quinn, an original MTV VJ, posted a similar message in her tribute on social media Thursday. "My condolences to his family, and thank you Greg for the Rock KIHN Roll," Quinn wrote.

"Weird Al" Yankovic made a parody of the "Jeopardy" song in the '80s called "I Lost on Jeopardy." Kihn said he loved it and that it gave his song more of a lasting impact than it otherwise might have had, Variety reported.

"It was a great parody," Kihn said. "He asked me to be in his video, and I had a blast."

Kihn was also a seasoned DJ, starting in the mid-1990s for KUFX radio in the San Francisco Bay Area and became a nationally syndicated nighttime radio host.

Kihn also wrote novels and short stories.

On his birthday in July, Kihn posted on Facebook - addressing his fans as Kihnfolk - thanking them for the birthday wishes and apologizing for not posting an update in almost a year.

“After so many years of touring as well as doing radio shows … it’s finally time I get to chill out,” the post said. “Thank you to each and every one of you for all your love and support now and over the years. Rock on!”

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