Maverick Gary Paxton dies at 77

Singer, songwriter known for ‘Monster Mash,’ ‘Alley Oop.’

Gary S. Paxton, a musical maverick who wrote more than 2,000 songs and produced the pop hits “AlleyOop” and “Monster Mash,” and who later overcame addiction and transitioned to a career as a gospel musician, died July 17 at an assisted-living center in Branson, Missouri. He was 77.

The cause was complications of heart surgery and liver disease, said his wife, Vicki Sue Paxton.

Paxton had his first taste of success as one-half of Skip & Flip, a late 1950s pop duo that broke into the Top 20 with “It Was I,” a bittersweet song about a jilted lover, and “Cherry Pie,” a cover of Marvin & Johnny’s doowop hit. Less a performer than a songwriter, Paxton quickly tired of touring and quit the road in favor of the Hollywood recording life.

He and fellow producer Kim Fowley churned out “Alley-Oop” (1960) with a group of studio musicians and friends he called the Hollywood Argyles. The record, which became a No. 1 hit, was written by country songwriter Dallas Frazier and was based on a comic-strip character of the same name who rode a pet dinosaur and traveled through time.

Two years later, Paxton had his second No. 1 with “Monster Mash,” released on his Garpax label. The devilishly addictive pop song about a mad scientist whose lab work incites a dance craze was written by singer Bobby “Boris” Pickett, who had wowed audiences with an onstage impersonation of horror-film actor Boris Karloff and now sang about “a graveyard smash” that “caught on in a flash.”

In addition to his wife of 14 years, the former Vicki Sue Roberts, survivors include three sons; two daughters; a brother; and nine grandchildren.

Paxton was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998, and in later years performed under the moniker Grandpa Rock.