P.F. Sloan | Singer-songwriter, 70

P.F. Sloan, 70, the troubled singer-songwriter behind such classic 1960s tunes as Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man" and Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction," died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. Howard Wuelfing, a spokesman, said Mr. Sloan had been battling pancreatic cancer for several weeks.

Born Philip Gary Schlein in New York City, Mr. Sloan signed his first record deal when he was 13 and went on to write songs for such artists as the Turtles, the Grass Roots, and the 5th Dimension. He also released several of his own albums and published the memoir What's Exactly The Matter With Me? last year.

His biggest hit was "Eve of Destruction," which he wrote in a single day in 1964 when he was in his teens. Mr. Sloan was traumatized by his sudden fame. He battled depression and dropped out from public life for years. He began recording and performing again in recent years. - AP