Philip Wright is lead singer and drummer of Paper Lace – famous for its 1974 #1 hit “The Night Chicago Died.” But right before then, Paper Lace had another #1 hit– “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” -- in the U.K. and Australia. (It was covered by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods here.)
In this episode, we talk with Phil about...
- How he and Paper Lace got started.
- The band's big break on the TV show "Opportunity Knocks," which led to...
- Connecting with the hit songwriting team of Mitch Murray and Peter Callander, which led to...
- The band's big hits "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and "The Night Chicago Died."
- Chicago Mayor Daley's negative reaction to the song (and the band).
- What happened after the hits.
- What he's up to now, including membership in three bands!