Viral 'Trololo' Singer Dies

The singer behind one of the internet's most beloved viral videos has died, reports RIA Novosti. Eduard Khil, singer of what is commonly called the "Trololo" video, passed away in St. Petersburg on June 4th. He was 77.

The song, titled "I Am Glad, 'Cause I'm Finally Returning Back Home," hit internet fame after a Russian TV clip of Khil performing the song went viral. The song, written by Arkady Ostrovsky, originally had lyrics describing cowboy imagery, but the former Soviet Union wanted the words changed to squelch possible associations with America. Instead, Khil delivered his now-famous nonsense vocal of "tro-lo-lo's." The 1976 video found an adoring audience online a few years ago, with over 12 million views gathered on a November 2009 YouTube upload.

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

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