Dwight Twilley, Tulsa Musician, Dead At 72

Friends, family, and fans are mourning the loss of Tulsa musician Dwight Twilley after he passed away Wednesday night at age 72.

Twilley was known as a pioneer of the power pop sound and got his start recording music at The Church Studio right here in Tulsa.

For the people who knew Dwight Twilley, he was a kind person and an extremely talented artist who made a lasting impact on music here in Tulsa and around the world.

As music-lovers flip through vinyl in Studio Records, Dwight Twilley's album Jungle filled the room.

"We decided to play it this morning just kind of in remembrance of Dwight," said Studio Records owner Mike Nobles.

Nobles has been a Twilley fan for decades, mesmerized by a trailblazer of the Power Pop genre.

"A very unique sound that it had and it just kind of drew you in and I was a follower of his music from then on," said Nobles.

It’s a sound that can’t be recreated. Twilley died this week after friends say he had a stroke and crashed his car.

“It was devastating,” said friend Teresa Knox.

Twilley and his partner Phil Seymour started recording their iconic music at The Church Studio, where longtime friend Teresa Knox carries on the legacy of musicians like Dwight.

"All of us at the Church Studio love Dwight so much. This is where he got his start. In fact, in this room we are in, we are in the live room of the studio, and he and Phil cut their first big hit "I'm on Fire" in this room in 1975," she said.

After decades of success both in the Dwight Twilley Band and as a solo performer, Twilley left a lasting legacy on what's known as the Tulsa Sound.

"They were trailblazers I mean Dwight in particular and that's inspiring to this new generation of up-and-coming musicians and artists and producers, and what he did was really ahead of his time, and we can all learn by that," said Knox.

To solidify his mark on music, just last week, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame announced his induction, recognizing his impact on fans around the world.

"Definitely lost someone that contributed so much not only to music here, and nationally, but internationally, he had a huge following, he was a trailblazer," Knox said.