Michael Jackson's Thriller Songwriter Rod Temperton Dies at 66 After a Brief Battle with Cancer

The songwriter behind Michael Jackson's massive hits Rock With You and Thriller, Rod Temperton, passed away at the age of 66 in London last week following an "aggressive battle with cancer," as revealed by Jon Platt, Chairman and CEO of American music publishing company, Warner/Chappell. His family seems to be devastated at this huge loss and has requested for total privacy, added Platt.

Temperton was the main writer of many successful songs like Off The Wall, Thriller, Rock With You, Sweet Freedom, Give Me The Night, Boogie Nights and Always & Forever among others. He made his mark initially as the main songwriter and keyboardist for the international disco/funk band named Hitwave. Later on, he went on to write many internationally acclaimed songs performed by the world famous late singer.

Before joining Heatwave, the talented composer had been an employee at a frozen fish factory in Grimsby.  He wrote hundreds of titles and settled with Midnight Man, but woke up the next morning to change the name to Thriller, Temperton was quoted as saying.  The songwriter could visualize it at the top of the Billboard charts. Even now more than 100,00 people purchase the album every year. Tributes have started pouring in from different parts of the world and are doing the rounds on Twitter.

Despite his immense success and owning properties in different parts of the world like the south of France, Kent, Fiji, Switzerland and Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles, he decided to shun the limelight. The songwriter spoke candidly about his life in 2006 in a Radio 2 documentary. His interest in music was sparked because of his father who used to put a transistor radio at his bedside at night and would fall asleep while listening Radio Luxembourg. Temperton also composed songs for Mica Paris, Mariah Carey, Donna Summer and Karen Carpenter.