Joseph Brooks, who won an Academy Award for the song "You Light Up My Life," was found dead today in his Upper East Side Manhattan apartment. Brooks, who was awaiting trial for the rape of several women, apparently killed himself using a helium tank hooked up to a dry-cleaning bag placed around his head. He was 73.
His body was discovered by a friend with whom the songwriter had planned to have lunch. A suicide note was found, but police refused to divulge its contents.
The rape charges against Brooks, who suffered a debilitating stroke in 2008, stemmed from allegations that he drugged and then sexually assaulted thirteen women who answered an online ad offering auditions for a movie role. Brooks had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Born on March 11, 1938, in New York City, Brooks wrote the score for the 1974 Brooklyn-set The Lords of Flatbush, one of Sylvester Stallone’s early films, and the song "Save All My Brothers," from Sarah Kernochan and Howard Smith’s 1972 Oscar-winning documentary feature Marjoe.
Brooks also directed five films: You Light Up My Life (1977), featuring the syrupy and highly popular Oscar-, Grammy-, and Golden Globe-winning title ditty as sang by Debby Boone (Kacey Cicyk sings it in the movie); If I Ever See You Again (1978), in which Brooks also starred opposite Shelley Hack; the musical drama Headin’ for Broadway (1980); Invitation to the Wedding (1983), featuring British veterans Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Leslie French, and John Standing; and, as per the IMDb, the obscure Sara’s Life Before It Became a Movie (1999).
Nicholas Brooks, the songwriter’s son, is being held without bail at the Rikers Island jail complex. He is accused of having murdered his girlfriend, swimsuit designer Sylvie Cachay. She was found dead in a bathtub at the Soho House club and hotel last December.
Photo: AP
Well, both JOSEPH and NICHOLAS BROOKS obviously had problems getting their own way (in their eyes at least) especially with women and resorted to brutalizing or murdering women as a result.