Thursday, August 7, 2008

A tribute to Robert Hazard, Delco guy

It is one of those iconic tunes of rock ‘n’ roll. Once you hear it, you can’t get it out of your head.

It rocketed Cyndi Lauper to fame when she used her eclectic kitsch to let everyone know that “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

What was less well known is that the tune was written by Robert Hazard, one of the leaders of the Philly rock circuit in the ’80s.

What is even less well known is that Hazard is a Delco guy. Grew up in Springfield. Graduated from Springfield High in 1966.

Hazard and his band, The Heroes, were very influential in the burgeoning Philly music scene in the ’80s and had a hit of their own, “Escalator of Life.”

Hazard died unexpectedly this week after a brief illness and undergoing surgery at a Massachusetts hospital, according to his wife. He was only 59.

In November of last year, the Delco native returned to his roots to play a benefit for the Delco SPCA at the Media Theatre. He had just released his latest CB, “Troubadour.”

In recent years, Hazard made his home in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.

He moved away from Delaware County 40 years ago, but he still remembered the Springfield of his youth.

“When I lived there as a kid, Springfield seemed really small,” Hazard said in an interview with our correspondent Susan Serbin. “There were the shops on Saxer Avenue, the barbershop and a little jewelry store where I got the friendship rings for my girlfriends. I took the trolley everywhere.

“After you got to Media, there wasn’t anything past there. It was a great place to grow up.”

And obviously a great place to make music.

Robert Hazard is gone, but his music will live forever.

Here’s a secret: It wasn’t just girls who wanted to have fun. Everyone who listened to Hazard’s music couldn’t help breaking into a smile.

He’ll be missed.

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