OBITUARY by Ian Woolley
It was announced earlier today by fellow musician John Ford Coley that Jim Seals has died…
James (Jim) Seals along with his musical partner, Darrell ‘Dash’ Crofts was one of the many talented duos to emerge during the seventies.
Wayland, Jim, and Dan Seals in 1953 (courtesy of the Seals Family)
At one time they joined the Champs (post Tequila) and later on paired up with fellow Champ band member Glen Campbell. After a brief spell in the Dawnbreakers, they decided to perform and record under the name Seals & Croft. Their easy listening soft rock style gave them plenty of airplay on the country and pop charts in the US.
Songs like Diamond Girl, Get Closer (featuring Carolyn Willis) and Summer Breeze were all top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The latter was a big UK for the Isley Brothers.
They officially broke up in 1980, although did perform together occasionally, including as late as 2004 when they released their last album together Traces.
Coley took to social media to share the sad news. He stated, “Wow. Don’t even know where to begin, Jimmy Seals passed away today”.
“I spent a large portion of my musical life with this man. We toured together, he and Dash invited us to sing on Seals and Crofts records, and we played with him for years”.
“He was Dan’s older brother, it was Jimmy that gave Dan and me our stage name, he taught me how to juggle, made me laugh, pissed me off, encouraged me, and showed me amazing worlds and different understandings of life, especially on a philosophical level, showed me how expensive golf was and how to never hit a golf ball because next came the total annihilation of a perfectly good golf club and the list goes on and on.”
Dan and Jim as Seals & Seals in the early 2000s (courtesy of the Seals family)
“We didn’t always see eye to eye, especially as musicians, but we always got along and I thought he was a bona fide, dyed in the wool musical genius and a very deep and contemplative man. He was an enigma and I always had regard for his opinion. I listened to him and I learned from him”.
“We didn’t always agree and it wasn’t always easy and it wasn’t always fun but it definitely was always entertaining for sure. Dan adored his older brother and it was because Jimmy opened doors for us that we came to Los Angeles to record and meet the right people”.
“This is a hard one on so many levels as this is a musical era passing for me. And it will never pass this way again as his song said. He belonged to a group that was one of a kind”.
“I am very sad about this but I have some of the best memories of all of us together. Rest In Peace Jimmy. You and Dan finally get reunited again. Tell him and your sweet momma hi for me.”
Jim passed away on Monday 6th June 2022. He was 80 years of age.