Joseph Brooks was best known for writing “You Light Up My Life,” a horrible pop song in the 70′s; a song that 30-something baby boomers praised as awesome as they exchanged carkeys with their friends’ spouse while it played on the radio. Did Brooks keep pumping out number one hits? Nope, he turned his apartment into a rape station, luring women into his grip with the promise of stardom before he attacked them. He took his own worthless life to avoid jail.

From the NYDaily News here:

The Oscar-winning “You Light Up My Life” composer, who was awaiting trial for rape while his son faced a murder rap, killed himself Sunday in his upper East Side apartment.

Joseph Brooks, 73, was found dead with a plastic dry-cleaning bag over his head near a hose attached to a tank of helium gas.

In a rambling, three-page suicide note, Brooks said he would be exonerated of rape but complained about his failing health and a woman who had abused him and taken his money.

In 2009, he sued 22-year-old ex-fiancée Joaly Gomez, claiming he spent $2 million on her before learning she was already married.

The apartment was where he lured a string of young actresses with promises of movie roles – and then jumped them, prosecutors said in 2009. He was awaiting trial on 82 counts of sex crimes.

His son’s murder trial is unaffected. Nicholas Brooks, 25, is awaiting trial for strangling his girlfriend, swimsuit designer Sylvie Cachay, at the posh Soho House club last year.

Brooks’ 1977 ballad “You Light Up My Life” was the biggest hit of the 1970s. He never again saw such success.

I never read stories about suicide notes being well composed and succinct. They are always described as “rambling, long and unintelligible.” And that 22 year old fiancée who fleeced him? I hope she did it for the lulz.


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