Screamin’ Scott Simon of Sha Na Na Dead at 75

Screamin’ Scott Simon of Sha Na Na has died at the age of 75, following a lengthy battle with sinus cancer.

The news was confirmed by his daughter, Nina, in a social media post.

“My dad was a rock star. Literally,” she wrote, sharing a photo of her father and family. “A member of Sha Na Na for over 50 years. He loved early morning diners and late nights onstage. But he loved his girls most of all.”

Simon’s Background

Simon was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1948, later graduating from Columbia in New York City in 1970. That same year, he joined Sha Na Na, the doo wop revival group who rose to fame covering ’50s rock ‘n’ roll songs and even performing at Woodstock in 1969.

With Sha Na Na, Simon wrote a number of the band’s songs. In 1978, the whole group appeared in Grease as “Johnny Casino and the Gamblers,” but Simon did more than just appear on screen — he also co-wrote the song “Sandy” with Louis St. Louis, which John Travolta sang.

Over the years, Sha Na Na performed with the likes of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Steve Martin, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. They also had their own television series named after themselves, which ran from 1977 to 1981 and included guests like Chuck Berry, the Ramones, Dusty Springfield, Billy Crystal and more.

Simon was a member of Sha Na Na until 2022, the year the band stopping touring.

Watch Screamin’ Scott Simon Perform on the ‘Sha Na Na’ Show