Freddy Moore was an American actor and lead singer of the rock band The Nu Kats. He wrote and produced over 1,000 original songs, with one of the most popular being It’s Not a Rumour, co-written with his then-wife Demi Moore in 1980. Freddy also played minor roles in several well-known movies, including Parasite (1982), Scarred (1983), and The Carrie Diaries (2013).
Freddy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2013 and passed away in hospice care in 2022 at age 72. Before his death, Freddy published a memoir titled It’s Not a Rumour: A Rock and Roll Journey Through Life and Alzheimer’s. The memoir talks about Freddy’s childhood, his music career, his wife, Renee, and his battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Early Childhood
Freddy Moore was born on July 19, 1950, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, into a middle-class American family. He graduated from Richfield High School in 1968 and enrolled at the University of Minnesota to study Music Theory and Composition under composer Dominick Argento. However, he left the university to pursue a career in the music industry.
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Music Career
Freddy Moore expressed a great interest in music at a young age. He taught himself how to play the guitar at 16 years old and wrote several songs inspired by The Beatles.
In Junior Year, Freddy joined a band called The Royal Cumquats, led by his cousin Danny Wick. He later formed his own band, An English Sky, which eventually evolved into Skogie and the Flaming Pachucos around 1970 and subsequently transitioned to The Kats in 1976.
The Kats signed a record deal with Infinity Records in 1979, but the company shut down that same year due to financial issues. Around a year later, Freddy signed with Rhino Records and renamed his band Nu-Kats. The band’s EP, Plastic Facts, featured the song It’s Not a Rumour, written by Freddy and his then-wife Demi Moore.
The EP didn’t win any awards, but it got some airplay on MTV, mainly thanks to Demi’s growing popularity as a Hollywood actress. After the Nu Kats split in 1981, Freddy launched another project called Boy in 1983, but the band lasted only that year.
Freddy was offered multiple recording contracts in the following years but chose to decline them, preferring to keep full ownership of his music. He and several of his ex-bandmates later released independent CDs through his own label, General Records, under the name The Kat Club.
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Acting Career
Freddy Moore never really considered himself an actor, but he did play several minor roles in movies like I’m a Kat (1979), It’s Not a Rumour (1981), Scarred (1983), and The Carrie Diaries (2013). He also appeared in the 1982 3D horror film Parasite, which starred his wife, Demi.
Life After Music
After disbanding Boy in 1983, Freddy Moore began a career as a programmer. He quickly found success in the field, advancing through the ranks of programming. He remained in the industry until 2013 when early-onset Alzheimer’s led him to retire.
Personal Life
His first marriage was to Lucy Colvin, whom he wed on April 29, 1974. However, their marriage ended in divorce five years later in 1979. While married to Lucy, Freddy met 16-year-old Demi Guynes and began a relationship with her.
He married Demi in 1981 when she turned 18, shortly after finalizing his divorce with Lucy. Freddy was 30 at the time. Their marriage didn’t last long, however, as they divorced in 1985. Freddy’s third and final wife was Renee Schyjer. He met Renee in 1981 and became friends with her for a time.
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Like Freddy, Renee was a budding musician. She regularly appeared in Freddy’s shows, expressing her support and admiration for his talent. Freddy and Renee tied the knot in 2005, and Renee stood by Freddy’s side until he passed away on August 25, 2022.
In his memoir, It’s Not a Rumor, Freddy expresses his unending love for Renee. “You’re the reason my life has meaning,” Freddy wrote in the book’s dedication. “I’m so lucky I get to be in love with you.” It’s unknown whether Freddy and Renee had a child together. After his band dissolved in the 1980s, Freddy mostly kept out of the spotlight.
Freddy’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s made it difficult for him to recall music and lyrics, which devastated him since it’s been a fundamental part of his career. Still, Freddy continued to write, sing, and produce music to the best of his abilities until his passing in 2022.
Conclusion
Freddy Moore was best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band The Nu Kats. He passed away in August 2022 at the age of 72 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease after battling the disease for 12 years.
In 2020, Freddy co-authored a memoir, It’s Not a Rumour, which gave readers a personal look at his music career, personal experiences, and struggles with Alzheimer’s. The book was completed shortly before his passing.
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