Robert Hazard and the Heroes rock it out on American Bandstand, 1983.
Via PhillyGossip, and Michael Klein:
Robert Hazard, 59, the Philadelphia-bred rock troubadour who wrote the pop anthem "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," died yesterday after cancer surgery in Boston, his widow, Susan, confirmed today.
Mr. Hazard, who lived with his wife and two teenage sons in the Adirondacks and in Vero Beach, Fla., last month had canceled a planned fall tour without explanation.
Robert Hazard and the Heroes, born out of the late-1970s punk movement, were a fixture on the local bar scene through the mid-1980s.
One night in a motel in Delaware, Mr. Hazard sat in a bathtub and in 15 minutes wrote "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," a sprightly pop tune covered in 1983 by Cyndi Lauper. Labeled a feminist anthem, it shot to No. 1. Miley Cyrus' remake is included on her new album, Breakout.
Legend has it Hazard sold the rights to "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" for $14 million. No idea if it's true, but God, I hope it is. One of simplest, best-written pop songs ever.
