First, here is poet Alexie Sherman reading his "Ode to My Sharona":
Yeah, the audio quality on that could be better, but you can read the poem here.
Also Entertainment Weekly has an interview with Ms. Alperin conducted after the singer's death. An excerpt:
“It was beautiful to see the people who paid him respect on his deathbed — the people who he was the biggest fan of.” Alperin, who had kept in touch with Fieger until recently, commented on the frontman’s undying zeal for his genre up to the present. “He was so devoted to rock and roll — a walking encyclopedia,” she said. “He would know the b-sides of every single in the day. Just a real fan.” Fieger, who died after battling cancer for several years, “was too young for sure,” said Alperin. “But I’m grateful that he’s out of pain.”
Spinner provides a look at the impact of the song. From the article:
There are lots of ways to put 'My Sharona' in historical context: the number of artists who have covered it, from Veruca Salt and Yo La Tengo to the Chipmunks and Pearl Jam; the song's occasional reentry into pop culture, like on the soundtrack to 1994's 'Reality Bites,' or when President George W. Bush listed the song on his iPod in 2005; and the sampling of it by acts like Run-DMC on 'It's Tricky' and Madonna during her 2006 'Sticky and Sweet' tour.' And then, of course, there are the parodies: from Cheech and Chong turning the song into 'My Scrotum' in 'Cheech & Chong's Next Movie' to the Dead Kennedys singing 'My Payola.' The most famous of these parodies is 'Weird' Al Yankovic's 'My Bologna' -- the song that started Yankovic's career. After hearing of Fieger's passing, Yankovik tweeted, "RIP my dear friend Doug Fieger (lead singer of the Knack and the first artist to ever approve one of my parodies)."
It was the Knack's debut single and the No. 1 track of 1979, having spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, from August 25 through September 29.
'My Sharona' was the song equivalent of Boston's first album, or Peter Frampton's 'Frampton Comes Alive' -- an out-of-nowhere smash that changed the pop landscape. Yeah, to some they've become a pop joke, a one-hit wonder famous for their "dirty mind" (which Feiger wrote of in the 'My Sharona' lyrics). But think of this for a second: the other No. 1 singles of 1979 included Donna Summer's 'Hot Stuff' and 'Bad Girls,' Rod Stewart's disco anthem, 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy' and the Bee Gees' 'Tragedy' (which was arguably a soundtrack of the disco era).
With its power-pop hooks, instantly recognizable riff and new wave attitude, 'My Sharona' was only the second song -- along with Blondie's dance-friendly, new wave hit 'Heart of Glass' -- to break disco's two-year stranglehold on the top of the pop charts. In '78 and '79, the Bee Gees spent a combined 27 weeks at the top. And the queen of disco, Donna Summer, had the top spot for a combined 12 weeks. That's 39 out of 104 weeks dominated by three acts, all of whom are synonymous with disco.
And finally, Ms. Alperin, who now sells real estate in Los Angeles has posted a statement on her website thanking fans for reaching out and showing their love for Doug and his music. In part:
Thank you so much to every single one of you who has reached out since the passing of my good friend Doug Fieger, the man who wrote 'My Sharona'.
I am overwhelmed by your thoughtful, caring and loving words and taking the time to share your fond memories of Doug and his music with me.
Since the song first came out and every day since, it is magical to see how many people have been touched by my song and The Knack...
Doug would be honored to know how much you care. I thank you for your kind words and for keeping Rock and Roll alive.
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