not everywhere· Culture· Updated 17 Oct, 18:47

Erez Halevi, Israeli Singer Behind "As Nature Made You," Dies at 71

Israeli singer-songwriter Erez Halevi, a distinctive voice in 1980s Israeli pop, died at his home in Rehovot at the age of 71. According to a family friend, Yaakov Waxman, Halevi had been living alone in poor health and likely passed away in his sleep four days before his body was discovered by passersby. He is survived by three children.

10 newsrooms · 3 languages · since 17 Oct, 11:45

Plus

Erez Halevi, Israeli Singer Behind "As Nature Made You," Dies at 71 — Illustration by baba

Watch · 2 clips

Clips the newsrooms posted about this story. They play from YouTube, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok and X.

Photos · 1

Photos the newsrooms posted about this story, and the ones the IDF and Magen David Adom released.

Official photos are free. 1 more with Plus.

What happened

01Israeli singer-songwriter Erez Halevi, known for his 1980s pop hits, died at his Rehovot home at the age of 71.
02A family friend stated that Halevi likely passed away in his sleep four days before his body was discovered.
03His 1984 debut album, "HaLayla," was produced by Matti Caspi and featured the hit "Kach Bara Otcha HaTeva."
04The song "Kach Bara Otcha HaTeva" became a prominent anthem for self-acceptance and was embraced by the LGBTQ+ community.
05Halevi wrote the song to protest expectations that he should create Mizrahi music due to his Yemenite heritage.
06After largely withdrawing from the spotlight to run a plant nursery and art gallery, Halevi released a second album in 1994.
07Halevi, who is survived by three children, had his songs covered by artists such as Ivri Lider and Dudu Tassa.

Halevi rose to prominence with his 1984 debut album, "HaLayla" (The Night), which was produced and arranged by Matti Caspi, who also played nearly all the instruments. The album blended soft pop, rock, folk, and Yemeni-Jewish vocal inflections, producing major radio hits such as "HaDayagim" (The Fishermen) and "Kach Bara Otcha HaTeva" (Thus Nature Created You). The latter song became a celebrated anthem for self-acceptance and was widely embraced by the LGBTQ+ community.

Halevi wrote "Kach Bara Otcha HaTeva" to protest societal expectations, explaining that as a creator of Yemenite descent, he resisted pressure to produce Mizrahi music. Although his debut received critical acclaim, Halevi largely withdrew from the public eye, working as a plant nursery owner and art gallery operator. He released a second album, "Matzav Be'reim" (Intermediate State), in 1994, which did not achieve the commercial success of his debut.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 10 newsrooms. Updated 17 Oct, 18:56