Classic Pop Singer-Songwriter Dead at 84: RIP to Dick Addrisi

Singer-songwriter Richard “Dick” Addrisi has died. He was 84.

According to a family spokesperson, he died last Tuesday at his home in Miami.

He is best known for co-writing the ultra-classic hit single “Never My Love” with his brother, which was originally sung by The Association and was then covered hundreds of times by other artists, including very successful versions by Etta James, Nina Simone, The Temptations, Barry Manilow, Belinda Carlisle, Donny Hathaway, Andy Williams, Norah Jones, Rita Wilson, The 5th Dimension, and Blue Swede.

A 1999 report from BMI said that “Never My Love” was the second most played song of all time in American radio and television history, just behind “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by The Righteous Brothers.

Addrisi and his brother Don were successful artists outside of songwriting, as well. As the duo the Addrisis Brothers, the two had several top-40 hit songs, including “We’ve Got to Get It On Again” and “Slow Dancin’ Don’t Turn Me On.”

The two also penned and performed the theme song for the ABC series Nanny and the Professor.

He is survived by his longtime partner Kay Douglass, Agustina Bianculli (who was “like a daughter to him”) and her son Sebastian, and his two nieces.