Covid claims singer of 1-hit wonder SIGNS

[samhexum]

The voice behind the iconic 1970s rock track “Signs” has died from COVID-19 at the age of 77.

Les Emmerson, the lead singer of Five Man Electrical Band, succumbed to the coronavirus in his home city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, last Friday, the CBC reported.

The frontman contracted COVID in November. Emmerson — who was doubly vaccinated — had “underlying health issues” that contributed to his vulnerability, his wife, Monik Emmerson, told Rolling Stone.

After Emmerson and his Canadian group changed its name from the Staccatos to Five Man Electrical Band, they went international with the hit “Signs” in the early ’70s — only striking gold after the original, B-side recording had cut two guitar solos for it to be more radio-friendly.

The song’s inspiration came from Emmerson when he took a trip on iconic Route 66 and felt that the many advertorial billboards plastered along the road were ruining the natural beauty of America’s heartland and southwest.

In the years following, Emmerson used the anthem’s popularity to rally social causes for children’s hospitals and climate change. He went on to re-record the tune as “Signs4Change” with newer, more environmentally conscious lyrics, the network reported.

https://nypost.com/2021/12/14/les-emmerson-of-five-man-electrical-band-dead-of-covid-at-77/