Ron Haffkine, who famously produced albums for Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, has died at the age of 84.
Music executive Joel Diamond, Haffkine's friend of 50 years, confirmed the record producer's passing to The Hollywood Reporter.
What Was Ron Haffkine's Cause of Death?
According to Diamond, Haffkine died at his Mexico home on Sunday, October 1.
"Ron always had an uncanny knack of hearing a hit song in its rawest stage and the rare talent to couple it with the best musicians and then top it off with a meticulous performance by the artist," he said.
He added that Haffkine died following his fight with kidney failure and leukemia.
The famed composer is survived by his wife, Sydney, whom he wed 37 years ago.
His family has yet to share details about his funeral or memorial service.
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Ron Haffkine's Legacy Explored
Haffkine, who got paralyzed because of polio when he was 12, started his career through the band The Gurus. He also met Shel Silverstein and received help from Bill Szymczyk to make a record for the group.
He produced Silvertein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and earned a Grammy Award for the song in 1985. He also scored a Grammy nomination for his work on "A Light in the Attic," another Silverstein's children's album.
Silverstein soon asked him to produce the music he made for the films "Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?" and "Ned Kelly."
In 1972, he produced Silverstein's album "Freakin' at the Freakers' Ball."
In the years thereafter, he collaborated with other people and companies as he expanded his career.
Haffkine played a huge role in leading Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show to score a deal with Clive Davis at Columbia Records. The band went on to share hit songs like "A Little Bit More," "When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman," "Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk," "Cover of the Rolling Stone" and "Sylvia's Mother."
The record producer also worked with Helen Reddy, Mac Davis and Waylon Jennings, among others.
He and his wife moved to Mexico before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Before his death, he helped develop a new duo, Dawn and Nash, until 2018.
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