Michael Damian
Encyclopedia
Michael Damian Weir is a long-time American actor, Billboard #1 recording artist and producer, known mainly for his role as singer Danny Romalotti
on the soap opera The Young and the Restless
, which he played from 1980 to 1998.
-directed comedy Young Doctors in Love
. Later followed a recurring role for two seasons on NBC
's The Facts of Life
as a rock singer named Flyman, who romanced Nancy McKeon
's character, Jo. After leaving "The Young and the Restless," Damian landed the starring role in the Broadway
production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber
/Tim Rice
musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
. The production became the highest grossing revival in Los Angeles
history, before hitting Broadway
, where it continued to break box office records as well as earning Damian a Grammy
nomination.
In addition to his Broadway career, Damian has released five albums and has had eight top 40 hits, including his number-one cover of the David Essex
song "Rock On
" from the soundtrack to Dream a Little Dream
, which earned him his first gold record. He also won a BMI Song-writing Award for his hit single, "Was It Nothing at All". His first release, "She Did It
," was a remake of a number 23 hit from 1977 by singer/songwriter Eric Carmen
. Damian also recorded an alternate version of the theme song to NBC TV series Saved by the Bell
which was used during the first season.
Damian made his feature film directorial debut with the award-winning indie
comedy Hot Tamale
, which he co-wrote with his wife Janeen. He went on to write and direct the family dramedy Moondance Alexander
, released by Fox in October 2007, then directed "Flicka 2" in 2010, directed "Marley & Me: The Puppy Years" which he co-wrote with Janeen and will be released by Fox summer 2011 and the Christmas tale "A Princess For Christmas" which he co-wrote with Janeen and will be released Nov. 2011. Damian will then direct "Flicka 3" starring Clint Black for Fox the fall of 2011.
He reprised the role of Danny Romalotti on The Young and the Restless in March 2008, as part of the show's 35th anniversary celebration. He later remade "Rock On" along with some of his past hits on his album released March 3, 2009, on Caption Records.
Danny Romalotti
Daniel "Danny" Romalotti, Sr. is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. He was played by Michael Damian from June 1981 to October 1993, and again from August 1994 to June 1998, returning briefly in December 11, 2002 and on recurring status from November 14, 2003 to...
on the soap opera The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
, which he played from 1980 to 1998.
Career
Damian made his feature film debut as an actor in the Garry MarshallGarry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
-directed comedy Young Doctors in Love
Young Doctors in Love
Young Doctors in Love is a 1982 comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. Similar in tone to the Airplane! movies, it spoofs a variety of medical shows ....
. Later followed a recurring role for two seasons on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
as a rock singer named Flyman, who romanced Nancy McKeon
Nancy McKeon
Nancy Justine McKeon is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jo Polniaczek on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life.-Early life & career:...
's character, Jo. After leaving "The Young and the Restless," Damian landed the starring role in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
/Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
. The production became the highest grossing revival in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
history, before hitting Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, where it continued to break box office records as well as earning Damian a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination.
In addition to his Broadway career, Damian has released five albums and has had eight top 40 hits, including his number-one cover of the David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
song "Rock On
Rock On (David Essex song)
"Rock On" is a song that was composed and sung by English singer/songwriter David Essex in 1973. In March 1974, it reached #1 in Canada on the RPM national Top Singles chart and was a Top 5 song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop-music chart. It was Essex's only Billboard Top 40 hit. The song also...
" from the soundtrack to Dream a Little Dream
Dream a Little Dream
Dream a Little Dream is a 1989 teen film directed by Marc Rocco and stars Jason Robards, Corey Feldman, Piper Laurie, Meredith Salenger, Harry Dean Stanton and Corey Haim. It was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. Released in 1,019 theaters, it accumulated $5,552,441. This was the third film...
, which earned him his first gold record. He also won a BMI Song-writing Award for his hit single, "Was It Nothing at All". His first release, "She Did It
She did it
"She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart...
," was a remake of a number 23 hit from 1977 by singer/songwriter Eric Carmen
Eric Carmen
Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
. Damian also recorded an alternate version of the theme song to NBC TV series Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
which was used during the first season.
Damian made his feature film directorial debut with the award-winning indie
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
comedy Hot Tamale
Hot tamale
Hot tamale may refer to:*Hot Tamales, a brand of cinnamon candy*"Hot Tamales", a song by Cassandra Wilson from Belly of the Sun-See also:*Tamale*Hot Tamale Baby, a 1985 blues album by Macia Ball...
, which he co-wrote with his wife Janeen. He went on to write and direct the family dramedy Moondance Alexander
Moondance Alexander
Moondance Alexander is a comedy/drama directed by Michael Damian and written by Janeen Damian. The film was released in North America in October, 2007. The story is set in Colorado and is based on actual events from the life of Janeen Damian. It stars Kay Panabaker as the title character and Lori...
, released by Fox in October 2007, then directed "Flicka 2" in 2010, directed "Marley & Me: The Puppy Years" which he co-wrote with Janeen and will be released by Fox summer 2011 and the Christmas tale "A Princess For Christmas" which he co-wrote with Janeen and will be released Nov. 2011. Damian will then direct "Flicka 3" starring Clint Black for Fox the fall of 2011.
He reprised the role of Danny Romalotti on The Young and the Restless in March 2008, as part of the show's 35th anniversary celebration. He later remade "Rock On" along with some of his past hits on his album released March 3, 2009, on Caption Records.
Studio albums
- Love Is a Mystery - Release Date: 1984
- Michael Damian - Release Date: 1986
- Where Do We Go from Here - Release Date: May 17, 1989
- Dreams of Summer - May 21, 1991
- Reach out to Me - June 22, 1993
- Time of the Season - 1994
- The Christmas Album - December 21, 2005
- Rock On - May 5, 2009
Singles
| Chart Position | Song Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 69 | She Did It She did it "She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart... |
1981 |
| 1 | Rock On Rock On (David Essex song) "Rock On" is a song that was composed and sung by English singer/songwriter David Essex in 1973. In March 1974, it reached #1 in Canada on the RPM national Top Singles chart and was a Top 5 song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop-music chart. It was Essex's only Billboard Top 40 hit. The song also... |
1989 |
| 24 | Was It Nothing at All? | 1989 |
| 31 | Cover of Love | 1989 |
| 60 | What a Price to Pay | 1991 |