Husband Murdered With ‘American Idol’ Exec Wrote Songs for These Notable Artists

Husband Murdered With ‘American Idol’ Exec Wrote Songs for These Notable Artists originally appeared on Parade.

Coverage of the brutal murder of American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, Tom DeLuca, has mostly focused on her career as an executive with the hit TV show, but DeLuca also had some notable credits in his career as a songwriter and performer.

The couple, who were both 70 years old, was found dead from gunshot wounds inside their Encino, Calif. home on July 14. A day later, 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian, also of Encino, was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department, per the Los Angeles Times.

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While Kaye served as a music supervisor on American Idol between 2002 and 2023, DeLuca had a long career as a singer and songwriter, with limited success, but some notable artists recorded songs that he wrote or co-wrote.

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DeLuca’s songwriting credits include “Women in Chains,” which was recorded by the Joe Perry Project, the side band led by the guitarist of Aerosmith, for their 1993 album Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker.

The songwriter, who was born in Pittsburgh, but started his career in Nashville before moving to Los Angeles, also wrote the song “Chance of a Lifetime” for former Monkees member Micky Dolenz. The song, Dolenz first solo single in 33 years, was initially issued in 2016 as a Record Store Day exclusive before a wider release.

Related: ‘American Idol’ Music Supervisor and Rock Artist Husband’s Murder Suspect Arrested

Among the other songs DeLuca wrote for known artists include the 1984 song “Satisfied Man” by Molly Hatchet and the Kid Rock’s 2003 track “Son of Detroit,” on which DeLuca shares writing credit with Harold Tipton, Ronnie Brooks and David Allan Coe.

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DeLuca also recorded his own music. His 1986 album Down the Wire was released by Epic Records. Although a second album, Street Rock, was shelved by Epic after staff changes, it eventually was released through the independent label Melodic Rock Classics in 2022.

Husband Murdered With ‘American Idol’ Exec Wrote Songs for These Notable Artists first appeared on Parade on Jul 19, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.