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Obituaries

Ralph 'Jody' Reynolds | Wrote teen song, 75

    Inquirer
    Published 

Ralph Joseph "Jody" Reynolds, 75, the rockabilly singer and songwriter whose lone hit "Endless Sleep" in the 1950s ushered in a wave of tragic teen pop songs, died Nov. 7 in Palm Desert, Calif.

"Endless Sleep," which sold more than a million copies in 1958, kicked off the melodramatic teen tragedy genre, including Mark Dinning's "Teen Angel," Ray Peterson's "Tell Laura I Love Her," Dickey Lee's "Patches" and the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack." Mr. Reynolds was inducted into Nashville's Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1999.

He continued to write and record his songs while supporting his family by running a Palm Springs music store and eventually selling desert real estate. He also occasionally toured the rock oldies circuit.

- AP

    Inquirer