‘Secret Agent Man’ Songwriter PF Sloan Dead at Age 70

P.F. Sloan, the songwriter behind hits “Eve of Destruction” and “Secret Agent Man” died of pancreatic cancer Monday night, reports Rolling Stone. He was 70.

Born Philip Gary Schlein, in New York on Sept. 18, 1945, Sloan signed a recording contract with Aladdin Records at the age of 13. While he worked as a recording artist, he had more luck as a songwriter, notably penning songs recorded by The Turtles, The Grass Roots and Jan and Dean.

In 1965, Barry McGuire recorded his song “Eve of Destruction,” which became one of the first protest songs to to become a Top 10 hit. The song eventually reached No. 1 and was recorded by many different artists.

Bob Dylan referenced the song in an early interview saying: “There are no more escapes. If you want to find out anything that’s happening now, you have to listen to the music I don’t mean the words. Though, Eve Of Destruction will tell you something about it.”

Sloan was later immortalized in the song “P.F. Sloan” by songwriter Jimmy Webb, for whom Sloan had been an influence.

After many years from recording, Sloan released the album “Sailover” in 2006, which was critically lauded, but little heard. He recently released a new album titled “My Beethoven” and published his memoirs, “What’s Exactly The Matter With Me?”

Agencies/Canadajournal