Moore's songs were praised by critics and admired by a diverse range of peers including Keith Richards, Jimmy Webb, James Taylor and Michael McDonald.
A self-taught musician, Moore grew up in Philadelphia, where he went to art school and played his early songs at local coffee houses.
After the Muffins disbanded, Frank Zappa heard Moore play solo and considered his songs harmonically advanced for the time.
He lived next door to singer Daryl Hall in downtown Philadelphia, where they worked together as staff writers for a production company.
He signed with Dunhill Records, which issued his first single, "A Fool Like You," on which Donald Fagen of Steely Dan sang backup.
When record label chiefs Clive Davis and David Geffen heard that Moore was a free agent, a bidding war ensued.
Moore's third album, White Shadows, was recorded in Los Angeles with more polished production and a group of seasoned musicians, including Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers, Jeff Porcaro of Toto, Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles, and Bill Payne of Little Feat.
The album was followed by High Contrast, produced by Ken Scott, who had worked with The Beatles, David Bowie, Devo and Supertramp.
Singers continued to mine his new releases for songs but Moore's records received limited attention in the United States.