Heatwave's mainstream years 1976–1982 Founding member Johnnie Wilder was an American serviceman based in
West Germany when he first began performing; upon his discharge from the
US Army, he stayed in Germany. Their third single, "Boogie Nights" from their debut album, in 1977 reached No. 2 on the British popular music charts in January and in America in November. The single was certified platinum by the
RIAA. The group's debut album,
Too Hot to Handle, was released in the spring of 1977, giving Heatwave a No. 11 on the Hot 200 and No. 5 on the R&B charts, while the next single, the soul ballad "Always and Forever", reached No. 18 on the Hot 100 in April 1978 and No. 2 on the R&B charts. The single was certified platinum by the
RIAA. During the winter of 1979, Johnnie Wilder, Jr., suffered injuries in an
auto accident while visiting family and friends in
Dayton, Ohio. The group recruited James Dean "J.D." Nicholas, who later became a member of the
Commodores, to sing additional lead vocals in studio and perform live with them. Heatwave's November single "Gangsters of the Groove" was a popular music success, Keith Wilder (born Keith Edward Wilder on 20 December 1951 in Dayton, Ohio) died on 29 October 2017, at the age of 65. Drummer Ernest "Bilbo" Berger died of a heart attack on 1 March 2024, at the age of 73, leaving bassist Mario Mantese as the sole living original member of Heatwave. ==Discography==