Remember Pop Star Phil Seymour?

 I recently listened to an "American Top 40" replay from  1981 and heard a song called "Precious to Me" by Phil Seymour. I struggled to remember the song and Phil until I saw the album cover. Then I looked him up. He had a tragically short life. Here's his story and that song from YouTube.

ABOUT PHIL SEYMOUR - Philip Warren Seymour was an American drummer, singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for the singles "I'm on Fire", his own solo hit "Precious to Me" and for providing backing vocals on Tom Petty's hits "American Girl" and "Breakdown." His solo work is revered among fans of power pop  

Born: May 15, 1952, Oklahoma City, OK

Died: August 17, 1993, Tarzana, Los Angeles, CA

Albums: Twilley Don't Mind, Phil Seymour 2, Archive Series, Vol. 1, MORE

Music groups: 20/20, THE JACKS

HIS HISTORY - In 1967, Seymour met fellow Tulsa musician Dwight Twilley at a theater where they had both gone to see a screening of A Hard Day's Night. They soon began writing and recording together, going by the name Oister. In 1974, Seymour and Twilley signed with Shelter Records and formed The Dwight Twilley Band.

"I'm on Fire", with little promotion, reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 2, 1975. The Dwight Twilley Band recorded two albums together, with Phil and Dwight singing lead and harmony vocals, Phil playing drums and bass, Dwight playing guitar and vocals, and their friend Bill Pitcock IV contributing lead guitar. However, a string of unlucky breaks played a significant role in limiting their success. In 1978, Seymour left the band to pursue a solo career.

VIDEO OF "Precious to Me" : https://youtu.be/LPDQhE3isik

According to Wikipedia:

In the downtime between recording deals, he worked as a session musician as well as played drums for 20/20 on their self-titled first album as well as drums on Moon Martin's Shots from a Cold Nightmare album). Seymour sang backing vocals on four of Tom Petty's songs, "Breakdown," "American Girl," and "Strangered In The Night" from his debut album, along with "Magnolia" from Petty's sophomore effort. During 1978, Seymour also traveled to England to work on a solo recording with Denny Cordell producing - five songs were recorded with Chris Spedding on guitar. Two of the songs were released on the compilation Precious to Me and all five on the 2016 CD The London And Los Angeles Unreleased Sessions. 

 ILLNESS AND PASSING - In 1984, Seymour joined the Textones, a roots rock band led by Carla Olson and George Callins. With them, he recorded the Midnight Mission, and toured with them as a singer and drummer. During the tour, he noticed lumps appearing on his neck, and he was diagnosed with lymphoma. Seymour moved back to Tulsa to undergo treatment for the cancer and continued to record and play live locally, albeit at a much-diminished pace, until his death on August 17, 1993, at the Tarzana Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 41