Survivor lead singer Jimi Jamison dead at 63

(Image credit: Beth Gwinn/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

You almost certainly know his voice, and if you watched MTV in the 1980s, you probably know his face. Jimi Jamison, the lead singer of Survivor and another band, Cobra, died on Sunday, his booking agent confirmed Monday evening. The cause of death was an apparent heart attack. Jamison was 63.

Jamison joined Survivor right after their biggest hit, 1982's "Eye of the Tiger," when lead singer David Bickler left. He stuck around for a string of Survivor hits, including "Burning Heart" from Rocky VI, "The Moment of Truth" from The Karate Kid, "High on You," and this song, from 1984:

After years of screaming onstage with heavy metal groups, Jamison said it was nice to sing ballads with an arena-rock anthem band. "I like to sing them more than anything else, but I didn't get much of a chance before," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1985. "Being in this group is just right for me." Jamison was on tour with Survivor, and played his last show Saturday night in central California.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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