Screamin' Scott Simon, who spent 52 years as the pianist for the dynamic rock 'n' roll and doo-wop group Sha Na Na, died Thursday in Ojai after a long battle with sinus cancer, his daughter Nina Simon announced . It was 75.
A member of Sha Na Na from 1970 until they stopped touring in 2022, Simon sometimes played the piano with his feet as he belted out hits like Jerry Lee Lewis' “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On” and “Danny & the Juniors” In the Hop.”
Simon and Sha Na Na starred in the 1978 film adaptation Grease as “Johnny Casino and the Gamblers”, playing six doo-wop numbers at high school dance scenes.
Meanwhile, Simon teamed up with Louis St. Louis to write “Sandy,” which was sung by John Travolta. The film's soundtrack became one of the top albums of all time, selling over 30 million copies.
With its 1977 premiere The show Sha Na NaSimon moved to Los Angeles and appeared in all 97 episodes of the 30-minute syndicated variety show over four seasons. The band welcomed guest stars such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, James Brown and the Ramones.
And on tour, Sha Na Na played with acts such as John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Steve Martin, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.
Born December 9, 1948, in Kansas City, Missouri, Simon was a multi-sport athlete and active in United Synagogue Youth, a national congregation of Conservative Jewish teenagers. He played in bands, founded a jazz quartet, tried his hand at songwriting and parodied songs, like turning Van Morrison's “Gloria” into “Toriah.”
He moved to New York to attend Columbia University – where a classmate nicknamed him “Screamin' Scott” – in 1966 and led a blues band called The Royal Pythons.
In 1970, he answered an ad in the Columbia newspaper about an opening for a pianist and guitarist in a campus doo-wop band. Sha Na Na had immediately preceded Jimi Hendrix on the Woodstock stage in 1969, but was still relatively unknown. After graduating from Simon, he began working as a keyboardist and eventually as a managing partner.
While Sha Na Na mainly played classic songs from the 50s and 60s, Simon composed many songs and solo albums that the band and himself performed on record and on television.
In addition to his daughter, survivors include his wife, Deborah; another daughter, Morgan; stepson Nick and granddaughters Rocket and Naomi.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
