Sophia Michaels
If you saw NCIS Season 17, Episode 16, titled “Ephemera,” you likely heard the love song “Precious and Few” performed by the late Sonny Geraci, former lead singer of the group Climax. How did Sonny Geraci die? Here’s what Showbiz Cheat Sheet knows about the singer’s passing.
‘Precious and Few’ on ‘NCIS’ Season 17, Episode 16
NCIS Season 17, Episode 16 focuses on the team’s effort to discover the origin of a valuable coin. The first scene opens with a view of retired Navy Master Chief Arturo Amador (Joe Renteria) getting dressed in his bathroom. He chooses a tie, freshens up his breath, and then feeds his dog, Sonny Lee.
Unfortunately, Arturo isn’t going for a night out on the town. Instead, he sits in his car and dies by suicide. Before Arturo passes away from carbon monoxide poisoning, he plays the song “Precious and Few,” and kisses a picture of his deceased fiancée. “I’m coming home, baby,” he says to the picture.
Who wrote ‘Precious and Few?’
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAeN0TwSsu0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
“Precious and Few,” which was recorded in 1971, was written by Climax guitarist Walter D. Nims and produced by Larry Cox. The song was a big hit for Climax in 1972. It reached the No. 3 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Easy Listening chart. The song also reached No. 1 on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100 and U.S. Record World The Singles chart. Climax had just one other charting song, titled “Life and Breath,” reports Vintage Vinyl News. The group disbanded in 1975.
The first verse is about the love shared between two people. The words fit Arturo’s story well, as he is trying to “find his way back home” to his lover, just as the song says. Sadly, his way of coming home is a lot darker than what the song originally intended. Here are the lyrics of the first verse:
Precious and few are the moments we two can share
Quiet and blue, like the sky, I’m hung over you
And if I can’t find my way back home, it just wouldn’t be fair
‘Cause precious and few are the moments we two can share
Written by Walter D. Nims/ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC/Source: Lyrics.com
How did Sonny Geraci die?
The lead singer of “Precious and Few,” Sonny Geraci, passed away February 5, 2017, at the age of 69. Geraci had been in poor health after he had a brain aneurysm in 2012, reports Cleveland.com. He originally began singing in a band called the Starfires back in 1964. The band later became known as the Outsiders. Some of the group’s biggest hits include “Girl in Love,” “Time Won’t Let Me,” and “Help Me Girl.” After leaving The Outsiders in 1970, Geraci formed Climax along with band mate and songwriter Walter Nims.
Read more: ‘NCIS:’ What Is the Song Bishop and Torres Are Dancing to in Season 17, Episode 16?
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Written by: CheatSheet
