NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Shirley Eikhard, the singer-songwriter who supplied songs for Cher, Emmylou Harris, Anne Murray, Chet Atkins and found lasting fame penning Bonnie Raitt鈥榮 Grammy-winning 1991 hit 鈥淪omething to Talk About,鈥� has died. She was 67.
Eikhard died Thursday at Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville, Ontario, due to complications from cancer, said publicist Eric Alper.
The blues-rock smash hit 鈥淪omething to Talk About鈥� was written in 1985 and Eikhard had offered it to Murray and other artists, who all declined to record it. Then years later Raitt left a message on Eikhard鈥檚 phone saying she she鈥檇 just recorded it. Raitt said later she鈥檇 discovered the song on a demo Eikhard had sent and admired it.
The song was the first single from Raitt鈥檚 1991 album 鈥淟uck of the Draw鈥� and spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 5. It would win Raitt the best pop vocal performance at the 1992 Grammy Awards and was also nominated in the record of the year category.
On Grammy night, Raitt made sure to thank Eikhard and she turned to Twitter after Eikhard鈥檚 death to say she was 鈥渄eeply saddened,鈥� writing 鈥淚 will be forever grateful for our beautiful connection and friendship.鈥�
Eikhard earned Juno Awards in 1973 and 1974 for best country female artist and she won several BMI Awards. She was inducted into the Canadian Songwriter鈥檚 Hall of Fame in October 2020. Her most recent album was 2021's 鈥淥n My Way to You.鈥�
During her career, Eikhard released 18 full-length albums between 1972 to 2021 and taught herself to play guitar, piano, bass, drums, percussion, chromatic harmonica, sax, banjo and mandolin.
At age 15, Eikhard鈥檚 song 鈥淚t Takes Time鈥� was recorded by country singer Murray in 1971, and later became a hit in her native Canada. Eikhard released her self-titled debut album the following year in 1972. The title track for Atkins鈥� 41st studio album, 鈥淧ickin鈥� My Way鈥� was one of Eikhard鈥檚 earliest successes.
She also crafted with Cher the frenetic dance track 鈥淟overs Forever鈥� for the 1994 film 鈥淚nterview with the Vampire,鈥� but it didn't make the final soundtrack cut. They collaborated again on 鈥淏orn With the Hunger,鈥� from Cher鈥檚 2000 album, 鈥淣ot.com.mercial.鈥�
Eikhard sang the theme song for Stanley Kramer鈥檚 1976 movie 鈥淭he Domino Principle鈥� starring Gene Hackman and Candice Bergen, as well as the theme song for 鈥淭he Passion of Ayn Rand鈥� in 2000.
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Mark Kennedy is at
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
