Shirley Eikhard, the songwriter behind Bonnie Raitt’s 1991 Grammy-winning hit “Something to Talk About,” has died. She was 67 and died Thursday of complications from cancer at the Headwaters Health Care Center in Orangeville, Ontario.
In addition to Raitt, Eikhard has covered songs by Cher, Emmylou Harris, Anne Murray and Chet Atkins.
Eikard wrote Something to Talk About in 1985, but initially struggled to place it with talent. Years later, Raitt left a message on Eikhard’s phone saying she had just recorded it from a demo Eikhard had sent.
The song was the lead single from Raitt’s 1991 album luck of the draw and spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 5. Raitt won Best Pop Vocal Performance at the 1992 Grammy Awards and her album was also nominated for Record of the Year.
Remembering Eikhard on Twitter, Raitt said she was “deeply saddened”, adding: “I will be forever grateful for our beautiful bond and friendship.”
Eikhard received the Juno Awards for Best Country Artist in 1973 and 1974 and won several BMI Awards. In October 2020, she was inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Her last album was in 2021 On the way to you.
Her career spans from 1972 to 2021 and has spanned 18 full-length albums.
Eikhard also sang the theme song for Stanley Kramer’s 1976 film The domino principlewith Gene Hackman and Candice Bergen as well as the theme song for the film The passion of Ayn Rand in 2000.
No information about survivors or a memorial was immediately available.
Writer: Bruce Herring
Source: Deadline
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