Robert John dead at 79: Chart-topping Sad Eyes crooner passed away years after suffering a stroke

Robert John — famous for his 1979 hit Sad Eyes — has died at the age of 79.

The chart-topping crooner passed away on Monday, years after suffering a stroke, his son, Michael Patrick, confirmed to Rolling Stone on Tuesday. 

He is survived by his four sons, several grandsons, his former wife Diane, and his partner Susan. 

Born Bobby Pedrick, Jr., in Brooklyn, New York, John began his music career at age 12 with the 1958 single, ‘White Bucks and Saddle Shoes,’ which reached No. 74 on the Hot 100.

After changing his name in 1965, he achieved major success in 1971 with his cover of The Tokens’ hit ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight.’

His rendition peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Sad Eyes singer Robert John has died at the age of 79. The crooner passed away on Monday, years after suffering a stroke, his son, Michael Patrick, confirmed to Rolling Stone; seen circa 1970

He continued to make hits throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including ‘If You Don’t Want My Love’, ‘Hushabye’, and ‘When the Party Is Over.’ 

His biggest hit came with the 1979 song Sad Eyes, which topped the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the Adult Contemporary top 10.

Sad Eyes told the story of a man ending a casual relationship as his partner was returning.

The lyrics include: ‘Looks like It’s over, you knew I couldn’t stay / She’s comin’ home today / We had a good thing, I’ll miss your sweet love / Why must you look at me that way? / It’s over.’

Meanwhile the chorus features the lines: ‘Sad eyes, turn the other way / I don’t want to see you cry / Sad eyes, you knew there’d come a day / When we would have to say goodbye.’

Sad Eyes ended the six-week reign of The Knack’s ‘My Sharona’ on the charts and reached the Top 10 in Canada and Australia, while narrowly missing the Top 30 in the UK. 

The song earned him a Grammy nomination for best pop vocal performance.

The song was featured on his self-titled third album, which peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard 200. 

Following the massive success of Sad Eyes, John achieved two more minor hits in 1980 with ‘Lonely Eyes’ and ‘Hey There Lonely Girl.’

He previously told Rolling Stone: ‘I look at the charts and see my name, but I still have trouble believing it’s really me.’

Born Bobby Pedrick, Jr., in Brooklyn, New York, John began his music career at age 12 with the 1958 single, ‘White Bucks and Saddle Shoes,’ which reached No. 74 on the Hot 100

His biggest hit came with the 1979 song Sad Eyes, which topped the Billboard Hot 100, reached the Adult Contemporary top 10, and earned him a Grammy nomination

His career continued to flourish into the 1980s. It was then he released ‘Back on the Street’, which would be his last album

‘I didn’t think the song would be the first single from the album. It’s a ballad, and I thought the company was crazy to release it,’ he added.

His career continued to flourish into the 1980s. 

It was then he released ‘Back on the Street’, which would be his last album. 

In total, John charted 10 Hot 100 singles and five Adult Contemporary hits. 

For the past few decades, John performed only occasionally and lived with his family in Las Vegas.