Rock Me Amadeus' Singer Dies In Car Crash

Falco, a classical music wunderkind-turned-two-hit wonder, died in a traffic accident Friday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic two weeks shy of his 41st birthday.

The Austrian musician, born Johann Holzel, emerged in 1982 with the synth-heavy Top 40 smash "Der Kommisar" and then re-emerged four years later with the equally-poppy, No. 1 hit "Rock Me Amadeus."

According to AP reports, Falco suffered a fatal head injury when his sport utility vehicle collided with a bus as he was pulling onto a highway near the resort of Puerto Plaza.

Although Falco had few hits in the U.S., the prodigal artist recorded more than ten albums (not including various "best of" and "remix" packages) during his career and was believed to have just completed a new record prior to his death.

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Song Stories

“(We're Not) The Jet Set”

George Jones and Tammy Wynette | 1973

George Jones and Tammy Wynette were still married when they recorded the tongue-in-cheek "(We're Not) The Jet Set." The lyrics, written by Nashville songwriter Bobby Braddock, who also penned Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," make fun of the good life by declaring, "We're not the Jet Set/We're the old Chevrolet set." Braddock recalled that while writing the song, he needed the name of a city that evened out the rhyme he had with "Riviera" and "Missourah." “I got out a Rand McNally atlas," he said. "In the first part are the maps. The last part is an alphabetical listing of cities. I wanted a rustic, small-time sound. I went to the listing for Missouri. And I found 'Festus.' I loved the sound of it."

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