Vocalist Jay Black, Dead At 82
Jay & The Americans in 1963. (Wikimedia Commons)
NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Jay Black, a singer best known for his work with the band The Americans and hits such as “Cara Mia” and “This Magic Moment” died on October 22nd in Queens, New York. He was 82.
According to the New York Times, Black’s son Jason Blatt said his father died from a cardiac arrest due to pneumonia. He was also suffering from dementia at the time of his passing.
A Brooklyn native whose real name was David Blatt, Black joined The Americans in 1962, following the exit of the band’s founding vocalist John “Jay” Traynor.
The addition of Black propelled the group to record a string of this through the 1960s, including “Come a Little Bit Closer,” “Cara Mia,” “This Magic Moment,” and “Only in America.”
Despite the initial blush of success, the members of the group all moved on to solo careers by the early 1970s, except for Black who continued to tour as Jay & The Americans.
In 2006, Black found himself in bankruptcy and facing sanction from the IRS over $500,000 in back taxes. The IRS tried to compel Black to sell the rights to perform as “Jay Black” as well as the trademark for “Jay and the Americans” to help reduce his debt but he managed to retain the right to continue performing as Jay Black. Other members of the group purchased the trademark to the Jay & The Americans.
In his later years, Black performed as Jay Black, The Voice, including during a televised performance on PBS in 2011. His final performance was in 2017.
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