Who Was Libby Titus? Singer-Songwriter Behind Love Has No Pride And Wife Of Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen Dies At 77

Libby Titus, the singer-songwriter behind the hit Love Has No Pride, passed away at 77. Known for a brief but impactful career in the 1960s and ’70s, Titus later married Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Oct 15, 2024 | 11:31 AM IST | 122.7K

Libby Titus (via Getty Images)

Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual's death.

Libby Titus, the singer-songwriter best known for co-writing the song Love Has No Pride, died on October 13 at the age of 77. Her husband, Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, revealed the news on the band's website.

"My beautiful wife, Libby Titus Fagen, passed on October 13th, surrounded by family," he said. No cause of death has been specified. Titus leaves behind a musical legacy and a family that includes her daughter, Amy Helm, who is also a well-known singer-songwriter.

Titus's music career lasted only a few years, yet it had a significant impact. She recorded two self-titled albums, the first released in 1968 on the small label Hot Biscuit Disc Company.

This album included covers of songs such as The Fool on the Hill and You Didn't Have to Be So Nice. Unfortunately, the record did not receive a lot of attention.

Titus' second Columbia Records album was released over a decade later, in 1977. This album had more major backing, with producers such as Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Robbie Robertson, and Phil Ramone.

It also included four tracks co-written by Titus. Around this period, she appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live's third season on October 15, 1977.

Titus' biggest claim to fame was her songwriting rather than her own recordings. She co-wrote Love Has No Pride with Eric Kaz, which became a popular song for many artists to cover.

Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Tracy Nelson, and Rita Coolidge all recorded versions of the song in the early 1970s, bringing it more broader attention. Other artists, including Rod Stewart, Billy Bragg, and Rita Wilson, have covered the song over the years.

Aside from Love Has No Pride, Titus worked on several other musical projects, including collaborating with Burt Bacharach on his Woman album in the late 1970s and creating songs for Carly Simon's albums. Although she did not attain mainstream success as a solo artist, her influence on the music industry remained through these collaborations.

Titus was born in Woodstock, New York, and his personal life was deeply connected with music. She initially married Barry Titus, with whom she had a son named Ezra Titus. Tragically, Ezra died in 2009.

Titus was in a relationship with The Band's drummer and singer, Levon Helm, in the late 1960s and 1970s. They had a daughter, Amy Helm, who commented on her mother's musical influence in interviews.

Titus married Donald Fagen, a Steely Dan co-founder, in 1993. Before their marriage, the two had known each other for years. According to a Rolling Stone story, Fagen first noticed Titus at Bard College, where she stood out in a fur coat and a short skirt, appearing like bohemian royalty. They first met in 1987 through Dr. John and soon began a relationship.

Although Titus left the music industry after her two albums, she stayed active behind the scenes. She and Fagen formed the New York Rock and Soul Revue in the late 1980s, and she performed with the group in its early days.

The revue featured singers performing classic soul songs and brought Walter Becker, Fagen's Steely Dan collaborator, back on stage, eventually leading to the band's reunion in the 1990s.

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