Richard Marx
Encyclopedia
Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter
, musician
, and record producer
. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights
", "Right Here Waiting
", "Now and Forever
", and "Hazard
". Although most of his major hit songs were slow ballads, many of his songs had a classic rock
style, such as "Don't Mean Nothing
", "Should've Known Better," "Satisfied," and "Too Late To Say Goodbye". Marx placed himself in the record books by being the first solo artist to have his first seven singles hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4). His record sales worldwide exceed 30 million. Aside from songs that he has sung himself, he has written, co-written, and produced successful tracks for other artists such as "This I Promise You
" by NSYNC and "Dance With My Father
" by Luther Vandross
. The latter song won several Grammy Awards. His 14th and latest chart topper, "Long Hot Summer," performed by Keith Urban
, gave Marx the distinction of having a song he wrote or co-write top the charts in four different decades.
, a jazz musician and founder of a successful jingle
company in the early 1960s. He has three half-siblings from his father's previous marriage.
's list of adverstising hits includes Arm & Hammer
. Ken-L Ration
and Nestlé Crunch
.
Marx was 17 and living in Highland Park, Illinois
when a tape of his songs ended up in the hands of Lionel Richie
. Richie said he thought Marx had the talent to make it big, saying "I can't promise you anything, but you should come to L.A." So after graduating from North Shore Country Day School
, Marx moved to Los Angeles
and visited Richie. "He was recording his first solo album (Lionel Richie
) and having trouble with the background vocal," Marx recalls. "He tells me, ‘Come try this part.’ It worked and I ended up singing on his album." Marx contributed backing vocals to Richie’s hit "You Are
", as well as "Running with the Night
" and "All Night Long (All Night)
", both on Richie's follow-up album Can't Slow Down.
In those early years, Marx would find any excuse possible to work in the recording industry. His enthusiasm and his presence in the studio landed him several jobs as a background singer for artists such as Madonna
, Whitney Houston
and Luther Vandross
, and, eventually, as a songwriter. Marx also had a minor role in the television movie Coach Of The Year, which starred Robert Conrad
. He was singing for Kenny Rogers
in 1984 when he overheard Rogers say he needed a new song. Within days, Marx gave him a demo of "Crazy." Rogers recorded it, along with another of Marx’s songs, "What About Me?
", which also featured James Ingram
and Kim Carnes
. The trio recording hit #1 Adult Contemporary
and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100
(while just scraping onto the Country
and R&B
charts) in late 1984 while "Crazy" hit #1 Country and #5 AC the following year. Soon after, Marx began working with producer David Foster
and writing songs for the group Chicago
and R&B singer Freddie Jackson
.
While working as a songwriter and doing background vocals, Marx continued to pursue a record deal of his own. His demo tape was rejected by every label in Hollywood until, finally, four years after moving to Los Angeles, the president of EMI/Manhattan Records, Bruce Lundvall
, heard Marx's demo and knew he had a star on his hands. He gave Marx a record deal and the opportunity to write and record whatever he wanted. Marx contacted his good friend Fee Waybill
of The Tubes
, and some very talented musicians, including Joe Walsh
, and Randy Meisner
of the Eagles, and created a ten-track album that led to a very successful career.
", had been released the previous month and climbed to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #1 on Billboard's Album Rock charts. Marx became the first new artist played on 117 radio stations nationwide during his initial week on the charts. The next two singles, "Should’ve Known Better" and "Endless Summer Nights
" reached #3 and #2, respectively. The fourth single release, "Hold on to the Nights
", earned Marx his first #1 Pop single.
With the success of his self-titled album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the Top 3 with four singles from a debut album. He embarked on his first world tour, initially opening for REO Speedwagon, but quickly began headlining his own shows. Marx's first tour kept him on the road for 14 months while the album remained on the charts for more than a year and a half.
In 1988, Marx was nominated for a Grammy Award for 'Best Rock Vocal Performance - Male' for "Don’t Mean Nothing"
The first two singles, "Satisfied" and the platinum-selling "Right Here Waiting
," both reached #1, completing a string of three consecutive No. 1 singles. When the third single from Repeat Offender, "Angelia" climbed to #4, Marx became the first solo artist to reach the Top 5 with his first seven singles. Since then, "Right Here Waiting" has been covered numerous times, most notably by Monica
and 112
in a 1998 duet.
Another song from the album, "Children of the Night", was written in support of the suburban Los Angeles (Van Nuys)-based organization for runaways. It became the fifth single from Repeat Offender, and all royalties were donated to the charity.
Marx's second world tour began in the spring of 1989 and took him to Australia
, Singapore
, Malaysia, Japan
, Europe
, Canada
, and the United States, lasting through August 1990. Highlights of that tour included a performance in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall
in London and an invitation from Tina Turner
to tour Germany
.
Marx also had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform the Beatles
’ "Help" at the Berlin Wall
in late 1989. Marx also received his second Grammy nomination in 1990 for "Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male" for "Right Here Waiting".
. This album saw artists such as the late Luther Vandross
and Billy Joel
appear as backing vocalists and guest pianists. The disc's first single, "Keep Coming Back
", went to #12 pop as well as #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts for 4 weeks running. "Hazard", which depicted a man being wrongfully accused of murder in a fictional version of Hazard, Nebraska
, went #1 in charts around the world. Two more Top 10 singles were culled from Rush Street
with "Take This Heart" (AC #4, Hot 100 #20) and "Chains Around My Heart" (AC #9, Hot 100 #44). In August 2001 Marx admitted that the track "Superstar," from the Rush Street
album was about pop star Madonna
.
, and scored his fourth consecutive platinum album. The acoustic ballad "Now and Forever
" peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 and spent 11 weeks in the Top 10 (also #12 in the UK) and also held the #1 position on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts for 11 weeks - at the time just one week short of the all-time record. The follow-up single, "The Way She Loves Me," climbed to #3 on the US AC chart and #20 on the Pop charts.
compilation was released in November 1997. The 16-track album includes a variety of hit singles from his first five albums plus "Angel’s Lullaby," a song written about his children originally appearing on For Our Children, Too, a compilation CD released in 1996 to benefit the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Greatest Hits was released in Asia in November 1998 and included two new songs, "Slipping Away" and "Thanks To You," a touching tribute to his mother. Marx’s dedication and support of numerous charities has continued throughout his career.
label founded by Marx and former Blood, Sweat & Tears
drummer
and record producer
Bobby Colomby
. Its title track, "Days in Avalon", was picked up by Adult Contemporary radio and spent 12 weeks in the chart's Top 30. The album was also quite successful in other parts of the world, particularly Asia and Australia. The label became the vehicle for the release of this disc, and folded shortly thereafter.
, Marx released the 2004 album My Own Best Enemy. It featured the two hit singles "When You're Gone" and "Ready to Fly."
with Vertical Horizon
's lead singer Matt Scannell
. This album features select acoustic versions of Marx and Vertical Horizon's hits, plus one they co-wrote and recorded together, "Always on Your Mind." This disc was not released under any label. It was available through Marx's website, and at concerts featuring Marx and Scannell together.
" and "Sundown
" were released via digital download on Marx's official site. Marx composed the track "Through My Veins" in tribute to his late father, jazz musician and jingle writer Dick Marx
, who died in 1997. The track appears on the Emotional Remains disc.
was released during Marx's solo acoustic concerts. It is his first acoustic album, which featured several songs from several of his previous albums. In November, 2010, "Stories to Tell" album was released in Europe supporting Richard Marx's European tour. The European release featured all the songs from the March release and new studio recordings of songs Richard has written with or for other artists, like Josh Groban
and Keith Urban
. On May 3, 2011, the reissue of Stories to Tell was released in the United States as a three-disc set exclusively through Walmart, which included a best of disc, an acoustic disc of tracks, and a DVD of a live concert performance at the Shepherd's Bush venue in England. The album is also available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon, but without the bonus DVD and album booklet. Everybody
was released as a single in Europe and When You Loved Me was released in the US, peaking at #15 on the AC chart.
, a five song collection of Christmas tunes. "Christmas Spirit" was written by Marx and Fee Waybill
and was the first song released for radio play.
and Elvis Presley
as his biggest musical influences, along with Donny Hathaway
, Steven Tyler
, Elton John
, Kenny Loggins
, Peter Gabriel
, Daniel Lanois
, Annie Lennox
, U2
, Dave Grusin
, and includes John Farnham
, Billy Joel
, Bryan Adams
, Rod Stewart
, The Eagles, Luther Vandross
, Earth, Wind & Fire
, and Gladys Knight
in his list of favorites.
. Rhodes acted and sang in Staying Alive
(1982), Flashdance
(1983), and most notably in the 1987 blockbuster Dirty Dancing
, as well as appearing as the female lead in Marx's first video, "Don't Mean Nothing". Rhodes also briefly sang lead for the second incarnation of the synth-pop band Animotion
in the late 1980s. The couple have three sons—Brandon (born 1990), Lucas (born 1992), and Jesse (born 1994)—and reside in Lake Bluff, Illinois
, a suburb of Chicago
.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights
Endless Summer Nights
"Endless Summer Nights" is a song written and performed by American pop-rock singer Richard Marx, and released in January 1988 as the third single from his eponymous debut album. The song peaked at number two on the U.S...
", "Right Here Waiting
Right Here Waiting
"Right Here Waiting" is a ballad recorded by Richard Marx on his second album, Repeat Offender. "Right Here Waiting" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the 700th song to do so. It also peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom.-Background and writing:...
", "Now and Forever
Now and Forever (Richard Marx song)
"Now and Forever" is the title of a 1994 song written, produced and performed by the American singer-songwriter Richard Marx...
", and "Hazard
Hazard (song)
"Hazard" is a 1991 song performed by adult contemporary artist Richard Marx. It has since become one of the most popular songs by Richard Marx, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, the song spent one week atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart...
". Although most of his major hit songs were slow ballads, many of his songs had a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
style, such as "Don't Mean Nothing
Don't Mean Nothing
"Don't Mean Nothing" is the debut single by Richard Marx from his 1987 eponymous album. With the chart success of this and subsequent singles from his debut album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with four singles from a debut album.In...
", "Should've Known Better," "Satisfied," and "Too Late To Say Goodbye". Marx placed himself in the record books by being the first solo artist to have his first seven singles hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4). His record sales worldwide exceed 30 million. Aside from songs that he has sung himself, he has written, co-written, and produced successful tracks for other artists such as "This I Promise You
This I Promise You
"This I Promise You" is a ballad by 'N Sync, released as the third single in America and the fourth single in Europe from their fourth studio album, No Strings Attached, in 2000...
" by NSYNC and "Dance With My Father
Dance with My Father
-Production:*Executive Producer: Luther Vandross*Producers: Luther Vandross, Nat Adderley Jr., Shep Crawford, Marcus Miller*Re-mix Producers: Eddie F., Kay Gee, Darren Lighty*Engineers: Ray Bardani, Paul J...
" by Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
. The latter song won several Grammy Awards. His 14th and latest chart topper, "Long Hot Summer," performed by Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
, gave Marx the distinction of having a song he wrote or co-write top the charts in four different decades.
Early life
Marx is the only child of Ruth, a former singer, and Dick MarxDick Marx
Dick Marx was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials.-Personal:...
, a jazz musician and founder of a successful jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
company in the early 1960s. He has three half-siblings from his father's previous marriage.
Early career
Marx began his career in music at the age of 5, singing commercial jingles written by his father, Dick MarxDick Marx
Dick Marx was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials.-Personal:...
's list of adverstising hits includes Arm & Hammer
Arm & Hammer
Arm & Hammer is a registered trademark of Church and Dwight, an American manufacturer of household products. The logo of this brand is a muscular arm holding a hammer...
. Ken-L Ration
Ken-L Ration
Ken-L Ration is the name of a brand of dog food. The brand offered both canned and dry dog food. Ken-L Ration was owned by Quaker Oats, but the brand was sold to H. J. Heinz Co. in 1995. Since being sold, the brand has faded into obscurity, although vast amounts of Ken-L Ration memorabilia can be...
and Nestlé Crunch
Nestlé Crunch
Nestlé Crunch is the name of a chocolate bar made of milk chocolate with crisped rice mixed in, produced by Nestlé. Its current slogan is, "For the Kid in You." It was first introduced in 1937....
.
Marx was 17 and living in Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
when a tape of his songs ended up in the hands of Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
. Richie said he thought Marx had the talent to make it big, saying "I can't promise you anything, but you should come to L.A." So after graduating from North Shore Country Day School
North Shore Country Day School
North Shore Country Day School, is a small private school founded in 1919 and located in Winnetka, Illinois. It consists of a lower school, a middle school, and an upper school.-History:...
, Marx moved to 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...
and visited Richie. "He was recording his first solo album (Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie (album)
Lionel Richie is the debut solo album by R&B singer Lionel Richie. It was released in 1982 on Motown Records. The first single, "Truly", topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single "You Are" reached number four, and "My Love" reached number five...
) and having trouble with the background vocal," Marx recalls. "He tells me, ‘Come try this part.’ It worked and I ended up singing on his album." Marx contributed backing vocals to Richie’s hit "You Are
You Are (Lionel Richie song)
"You Are" is the title of a popular song from 1983 by the R&B singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. "You Are" was written by Richie and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey Richie. It appears on his self-titled debut solo album, which came out in 1982....
", as well as "Running with the Night
Running with the Night
"Running with the Night" was the second single released from Lionel Richie's multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning 1983 album, Can't Slow Down...
" and "All Night Long (All Night)
All Night Long (All Night)
"All Night Long " is a hit single for Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard charts...
", both on Richie's follow-up album Can't Slow Down.
In those early years, Marx would find any excuse possible to work in the recording industry. His enthusiasm and his presence in the studio landed him several jobs as a background singer for artists such as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, and, eventually, as a songwriter. Marx also had a minor role in the television movie Coach Of The Year, which starred Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the 1965 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, in which he played the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West, and his portrayal of World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep...
. He was singing for Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
in 1984 when he overheard Rogers say he needed a new song. Within days, Marx gave him a demo of "Crazy." Rogers recorded it, along with another of Marx’s songs, "What About Me?
What About Me? (Kenny Rogers song)
"What About Me?" is the title of a song first recorded in 1984 as a trio by singers Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes and James Ingram. The song was written by Rogers, noted producer David Foster and singer-songwriter Richard Marx, who had yet to achieve the fame as a musician that he would a few years later...
", which also featured James Ingram
James Ingram
James Ingram is an American soul musician. He is best known as a vocalist. He is also a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards...
and Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner noted for her distinctive raspy vocal style. Some people have called her "The Female Rod Stewart" due to her raspy voice....
. The trio recording hit #1 Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(while just scraping onto the Country
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
and R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
charts) in late 1984 while "Crazy" hit #1 Country and #5 AC the following year. Soon after, Marx began working with producer David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
and writing songs for the group Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
and R&B singer Freddie Jackson
Freddie Jackson
Frederick Anthony "Freddie" Jackson is an American soul singer. He was an important figure in R&B during the 1980s and early 1990s...
.
While working as a songwriter and doing background vocals, Marx continued to pursue a record deal of his own. His demo tape was rejected by every label in Hollywood until, finally, four years after moving to Los Angeles, the president of EMI/Manhattan Records, Bruce Lundvall
Bruce Lundvall
Bruce Lundvall, is an American record company executive, most known as being the President/CEO of the Blue Note Label Group, reporting directly to Eric Nicoli, the Chief Executive Officer of EMI Group.- Career :...
, heard Marx's demo and knew he had a star on his hands. He gave Marx a record deal and the opportunity to write and record whatever he wanted. Marx contacted his good friend Fee Waybill
Fee Waybill
John Waldo Waybill , known as Fee Waybill, is the lead singer and songwriter of the band the Tubes...
of The Tubes
The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
, and some very talented musicians, including Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
, and Randy Meisner
Randy Meisner
Randy Herman Meisner is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of Poco and the Eagles...
of the Eagles, and created a ten-track album that led to a very successful career.
Debut album
Marx's self-titled debut album, released in June 1987, yielded four hit singles and sold nearly four million copies in the US. The debut single, "Don't Mean NothingDon't Mean Nothing
"Don't Mean Nothing" is the debut single by Richard Marx from his 1987 eponymous album. With the chart success of this and subsequent singles from his debut album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with four singles from a debut album.In...
", had been released the previous month and climbed to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #1 on Billboard's Album Rock charts. Marx became the first new artist played on 117 radio stations nationwide during his initial week on the charts. The next two singles, "Should’ve Known Better" and "Endless Summer Nights
Endless Summer Nights
"Endless Summer Nights" is a song written and performed by American pop-rock singer Richard Marx, and released in January 1988 as the third single from his eponymous debut album. The song peaked at number two on the U.S...
" reached #3 and #2, respectively. The fourth single release, "Hold on to the Nights
Hold On to the Nights
"Hold On to the Nights" is a power ballad and number-one hit for singer Richard Marx. This was the fourth and final single released from his self-titled debut album, and the first to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100.-Charts:...
", earned Marx his first #1 Pop single.
With the success of his self-titled album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the Top 3 with four singles from a debut album. He embarked on his first world tour, initially opening for REO Speedwagon, but quickly began headlining his own shows. Marx's first tour kept him on the road for 14 months while the album remained on the charts for more than a year and a half.
In 1988, Marx was nominated for a Grammy Award for 'Best Rock Vocal Performance - Male' for "Don’t Mean Nothing"
Repeat Offender
Repeat Offender, Marx’s second release (May 1989), hit pole position and pushed Prince out of the #1 spot on Billboard's Album chart. It went triple platinum within a few months and eventually sold over 5 million US copies. Repeat Offender was the result of the energy generated from over a year and a half on the road and was written or co-written entirely by Marx. "Some people might think that it would be easier this time around, that I could just kick back," Marx said at the time, "but the truth is, it’s harder, I’ve got more to prove."The first two singles, "Satisfied" and the platinum-selling "Right Here Waiting
Right Here Waiting
"Right Here Waiting" is a ballad recorded by Richard Marx on his second album, Repeat Offender. "Right Here Waiting" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the 700th song to do so. It also peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom.-Background and writing:...
," both reached #1, completing a string of three consecutive No. 1 singles. When the third single from Repeat Offender, "Angelia" climbed to #4, Marx became the first solo artist to reach the Top 5 with his first seven singles. Since then, "Right Here Waiting" has been covered numerous times, most notably by Monica
Monica (singer)
Monica Denise Brown , and professionally known as Monica, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir, by the time she was ten...
and 112
112
Year 112 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Traianus and Cornelius...
in a 1998 duet.
Another song from the album, "Children of the Night", was written in support of the suburban Los Angeles (Van Nuys)-based organization for runaways. It became the fifth single from Repeat Offender, and all royalties were donated to the charity.
Marx's second world tour began in the spring of 1989 and took him to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the United States, lasting through August 1990. Highlights of that tour included a performance in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London and an invitation from Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
to tour Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Marx also had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
’ "Help" at the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
in late 1989. Marx also received his second Grammy nomination in 1990 for "Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male" for "Right Here Waiting".
Rush Street
Marx went on to release a number of other albums. In 1991 he released his third consecutive multi-platinum album Rush StreetRush Street (Richard Marx album)
Rush Street is the third studio album by singer/songwriter Richard Marx. Released in late 1991, it sold over two-million copies in the United States alone. Its first single, "Keep Coming Back," was #1 on the American Adult Contemporary chart for four consecutive weeks and peaked at #12 Pop...
. This album saw artists such as the late Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
and Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
appear as backing vocalists and guest pianists. The disc's first single, "Keep Coming Back
Keep Coming Back (song)
"Keep Coming Back" is a 1991 song by American singer-songwriter Richard Marx. It appears on his third solo album, Rush Street, and was both written and produced by Marx.The lyrics to the song detail a man's unrequited love for a woman...
", went to #12 pop as well as #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts for 4 weeks running. "Hazard", which depicted a man being wrongfully accused of murder in a fictional version of Hazard, Nebraska
Hazard, Nebraska
Hazard is a village in Sherman County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 66 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hazard is located at ....
, went #1 in charts around the world. Two more Top 10 singles were culled from Rush Street
Rush Street (Richard Marx album)
Rush Street is the third studio album by singer/songwriter Richard Marx. Released in late 1991, it sold over two-million copies in the United States alone. Its first single, "Keep Coming Back," was #1 on the American Adult Contemporary chart for four consecutive weeks and peaked at #12 Pop...
with "Take This Heart" (AC #4, Hot 100 #20) and "Chains Around My Heart" (AC #9, Hot 100 #44). In August 2001 Marx admitted that the track "Superstar," from the Rush Street
Rush Street (Richard Marx album)
Rush Street is the third studio album by singer/songwriter Richard Marx. Released in late 1991, it sold over two-million copies in the United States alone. Its first single, "Keep Coming Back," was #1 on the American Adult Contemporary chart for four consecutive weeks and peaked at #12 Pop...
album was about pop star Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
.
Paid Vacation
In early 1994, as Marx and his family permanently left Los Angeles behind and returned to Chicago, Marx released Paid VacationPaid Vacation (album)
Paid Vacation is the fourth studio album by singer/songwriter Richard Marx. The album's first single "Now And Forever" hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. This song also spent eleven consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart...
, and scored his fourth consecutive platinum album. The acoustic ballad "Now and Forever
Now and Forever (Richard Marx song)
"Now and Forever" is the title of a 1994 song written, produced and performed by the American singer-songwriter Richard Marx...
" peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 and spent 11 weeks in the Top 10 (also #12 in the UK) and also held the #1 position on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts for 11 weeks - at the time just one week short of the all-time record. The follow-up single, "The Way She Loves Me," climbed to #3 on the US AC chart and #20 on the Pop charts.
Flesh and Bone
1997 saw the release of Flesh and Bone - Marx's final studio album on the Capitol imprint. This album sold 250,000 copies in the United States. "Until I Find You Again" hit #1 in several countries and #3 in the US.Greatest Hits
Marx's Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Richard Marx album)
Greatest Hits is the third compilation album by Richard Marx. Released in 1997, this greatest hits package was the last recording for Marx as a Capitol Records artist...
compilation was released in November 1997. The 16-track album includes a variety of hit singles from his first five albums plus "Angel’s Lullaby," a song written about his children originally appearing on For Our Children, Too, a compilation CD released in 1996 to benefit the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Greatest Hits was released in Asia in November 1998 and included two new songs, "Slipping Away" and "Thanks To You," a touching tribute to his mother. Marx’s dedication and support of numerous charities has continued throughout his career.
Days in Avalon
In 2000, Marx debuted his sixth studio album Days in Avalon. This disc was released on the Signal 21 RecordsSignal 21 Records
Signal 21 Records is a defunct independent record label created by singer-songwriter Richard Marx and Blood, Sweat, and Tears drummer Bobby Colomby in 2000...
label founded by Marx and former Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Bobby Colomby
Bobby Colomby
Bobby Colomby is an innovative jazz-rock fusion drummer, and an original member of the group Blood, Sweat & Tears...
. Its title track, "Days in Avalon", was picked up by Adult Contemporary radio and spent 12 weeks in the chart's Top 30. The album was also quite successful in other parts of the world, particularly Asia and Australia. The label became the vehicle for the release of this disc, and folded shortly thereafter.
My Own Best Enemy
After signing a new deal with his former label, Manhattan RecordsManhattan Records
Manhattan Records is a United States record label, owned by EMI and operates as a subsidiary of The Blue Note Label Group.-Company history:Manhattan Records was formed in 1984 by Bruce Lundvall, and was later renamed EMI Manhattan Records after absorbing EMI America Records imprint...
, Marx released the 2004 album My Own Best Enemy. It featured the two hit singles "When You're Gone" and "Ready to Fly."
Duo
In 2008, Marx released DuoDuo (Richard Marx and Matt Scannell album)
Duo is a compilation album by Richard Marx and, Vertical Horizon vocalist, Matt Scannell. The disc debuted on May 12, 2008, exclusively through RichardMarx.com and is now available for sale at their concerts together as well. Marx and Scannell exhibit both of their acclaimed works. Marx remade...
with Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...
's lead singer Matt Scannell
Matt Scannell
Matthew "Matt" Scannell is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and musician. Scannell is the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and founding member of the alternative rock band, Vertical Horizon....
. This album features select acoustic versions of Marx and Vertical Horizon's hits, plus one they co-wrote and recorded together, "Always on Your Mind." This disc was not released under any label. It was available through Marx's website, and at concerts featuring Marx and Scannell together.
Emotional Remains and Sundown
On October 31, 2008, "Emotional RemainsEmotional Remains (Richard Marx album)
Emotional Remains is the eighth studio album by Richard Marx which was released digitally on October 31, 2008 on Marx's website. Emotional Remains was released simultaneously with Sundown and was re-released exclusively through Amazon.com on September 22, 2009 with two new tracks.-Track...
" and "Sundown
Sundown (Richard Marx album)
Sundown is the ninth studio album by Richard Marx that was released digitally on October 31, 2008. Sundown was released along with Emotional Remains.-Track listing:#"Have a Little Faith" – 4:45...
" were released via digital download on Marx's official site. Marx composed the track "Through My Veins" in tribute to his late father, jazz musician and jingle writer Dick Marx
Dick Marx
Dick Marx was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials.-Personal:...
, who died in 1997. The track appears on the Emotional Remains disc.
Stories to Tell
In March 2010, Stories To TellStories To Tell
Stories To Tell is an acoustic album released by Richard Marx featuring several songs from his previous albums. It is his eighth compilation album. The 11 track collection was first released in March 2010 and available for purchase exclusively at his solo acoustic concerts...
was released during Marx's solo acoustic concerts. It is his first acoustic album, which featured several songs from several of his previous albums. In November, 2010, "Stories to Tell" album was released in Europe supporting Richard Marx's European tour. The European release featured all the songs from the March release and new studio recordings of songs Richard has written with or for other artists, like Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
and Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
. On May 3, 2011, the reissue of Stories to Tell was released in the United States as a three-disc set exclusively through Walmart, which included a best of disc, an acoustic disc of tracks, and a DVD of a live concert performance at the Shepherd's Bush venue in England. The album is also available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon, but without the bonus DVD and album booklet. Everybody
Everybody (song)
"Everybody" is song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released on October 6, 1982 by Sire Records as her debut single. Madonna had recorded a demo of the song with Steve Bray. She urged DJ Mark Kamins, who played at her dance club, to play it. He was...
was released as a single in Europe and When You Loved Me was released in the US, peaking at #15 on the AC chart.
The Christmas EP
November 1, 2011 saw the release of The Christmas EPThe Christmas EP (Richard Marx EP)
The Christmas EP is a holiday album by musician Richard Marx. It was released on November 1st, 2011. Marx plans on recording an additional seven songs to add to the five songs to make a full length album for release in 2012...
, a five song collection of Christmas tunes. "Christmas Spirit" was written by Marx and Fee Waybill
Fee Waybill
John Waldo Waybill , known as Fee Waybill, is the lead singer and songwriter of the band the Tubes...
and was the first song released for radio play.
Collaborations
- 1993 – Marx played piano on John FarnhamJohn FarnhamJohn Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
's 1993 song "The Reason Why."
- 1997 – Marx recorded "At the BeginningAt the Beginning"At the Beginning" is a song by Donna Lewis and Richard Marx, released as the first single from the Anastasia soundtrack. It was released as a CD and cassette single on October 21, 1997 on Atlantic Records....
" with Donna LewisDonna LewisDonna Lewis is a Welsh singer-songwriter and record producer, best known for the 1996 pop hit single "I Love You Always Forever", and the adult contemporary chart-topper "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx. After releasing her second LP Blue Planet, Lewis left Atlantic Records and independently...
for the 1997 film AnastasiaAnastasia (1997 film)Anastasia is a 1997 American animated musical film produced and directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. It was the first feature film to be released by Fox Animation Studios....
.
- 1999 – In 1999 Marx built "Renegade Studios," a state of the art recording facility located in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Artists such as Philip SaycePhilip SaycePhilip Sayce is a Welsh born guitarist, singer and songwriter from Canada.-Early life:Sayce was born in Aberystwyth, but family moved to Canada when he was two years old, and he grew up in Toronto. His parents, Kenneth and Sheila, listened to music by Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder and Dire Straits, among...
, Keith UrbanKeith UrbanKeith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
, and Emerson DriveEmerson DriveEmerson Drive is a country music band founded in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada in 1995. The band is Brad Mates , Danick Dupelle , Mike Melancon , Dale Wallace , and David Pichette .Early on, the band found minor success in Canada, releasing two albums under the name of 12 Gauge, the first Open...
have recorded material at this location.
- 2004 – At the 46th Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004, Marx won a Grammy for Song of the Year for "Dance with My FatherDance with My Father (song)"Dance with My Father" is the title track to singer-songwriter Luther Vandross' thirteenth studio album. With Richard Marx, Vandross wrote the song based on his personal experience...
," which he wrote with Luther VandrossLuther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
. On that same night, he played the piano accompanying Celine DionCeline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
in performing "Dance With My Father," since Vandross was not present at the ceremony for health reasons.
- 2006 – During Summer 2006, Marx toured with Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
& His All-Starr BandRingo Starr & His All-Starr BandTo date, Ringo Starr has toured with eleven versions of his All-Starr Band where "everybody on stage is a star in their own right." Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band is a concept that was created by producer David Fishof...
. Other members of that year's All-Starr Band included Edgar WinterEdgar WinterEdgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
, Sheila E, and Billy SquierBilly SquierWilliam Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No...
.
- 2006 – Marx appeared on the Fox network's TV show "Celebrity DuetsCelebrity DuetsCelebrity Duets was an American reality television show of the progressive game-show type, which combined celebrities of different backgrounds with professional singers in a weekly elimination competition....
" (September 2006). Other singers to take part in the series included Smokey RobinsonSmokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
, Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, Cyndi LauperCyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Kenny LogginsKenny LogginsDuring the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, Patti LaBellePatti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
, Randy TravisRandy TravisRandy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...
, Jesse McCartneyJesse McCartneyJesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
, and Gladys KnightGladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
.
- 2007 – In 2007 Marx released a new ballad titled "Your Goodbye" and a remixed version of his classic love song "Hold On To The Nights" on a Phil RamonePhil RamonePhil Ramone is a South-African violinist, composer, recording engineer, and record producer.-Biography:As a young child in South Africa, Ramone was a musical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three and performing for Queen Elizabeth II at age ten...
compilation production called New Music From An Old Friend. This compilation was released on the TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
label Spotlight.
Musical influences / favorite artists
In addition to his parents, Marx names recording artists like Sam CookeSam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
as his biggest musical influences, along with Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
, Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
, Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Dave Grusin
Dave Grusin
David Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
, and includes John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, The Eagles, Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, and Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
in his list of favorites.
2008-2011
- On June 12, 2008 Marx was part of a PBS television series called "Songwriters In The Round Presents: Legends & Lyrics." In Episode 102 of the first season, Marx appears along with Kenny LogginsKenny LogginsDuring the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, Nathan LeeNathan LeeNathan Lee was an American murderer executed by the state of Texas via hanging.Subsequent to Lee's execution, Texas changed the method of execution to the electric chair and further mandated that all executions would take place at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville...
, and rock band Three Doors Down. The musical performance has recently been released on DVD and Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
through the Legends and Lyrics website. This episode also features an interview with singer/songwriter Diane WarrenDiane WarrenDiane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
. - On 6 December 2008 Marx headlined a fundraiser for Cystic FibrosisCystic fibrosisCystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...
research, "Newsapalooza," sponsored by WLS-AM's Roe ConnRoe ConnRoe B. Conn is an American talk radio host of The Roe Conn Show with Richard Roeper, which airs on WLS-AM 890 in Chicago live from 2 to 6 p.m. , Monday through Friday. Three hours of the radio show are also simulcast on NBC Chicago Digital 5.2 television between 3 and 6 p.m. weekdays...
program, in which Marx both performed several of his hits with his band and accompanied Chicago broadcast news reporters and anchors covering rock hits. - On an interview published in Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
on June 26, 2009, Marx said he was "ashamed" of being linked to a $1.92 million fine against single mother Jammie Thomas-RassetCapitol v. ThomasCapitol v. Thomas was the first file-sharing copyright infringement lawsuit in the United States brought by major record labels to be tried before a jury. The defendant, Jammie Thomas-Rasset, was found liable in a 2007 trial for infringing 24 songs and ordered to pay $222,000 in statutory damages...
by the Recording Industry Association of AmericaRecording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). Rasset had shared 24 songs on the file-sharing website KazaaKazaaKazaa Media Desktop started as a peer-to-peer file sharing application using the FastTrack protocol licensed by Joltid Ltd. and operated as Kazaa by Sharman Networks...
in 2005. Marx's "Now and Forever"Now and Forever (Richard Marx song)"Now and Forever" is the title of a 1994 song written, produced and performed by the American singer-songwriter Richard Marx...
was one of them. - Marx played piano on the song "Here" and produced Matt Scannell's vocals on two tracks for Vertical HorizonVertical HorizonVertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...
's latest album Burning the DaysBurning the DaysBurning the Days is the sixth album from the band Vertical Horizon, released on September 22, 2009. A song from the album, "All Is Said and Done" has been on the group's MySpace page since November 2008.- Background :...
. - Richard Marx appeared on a YouTube video "ASK KevJumba 2" , singing along with YouTube star KevJumba.
- On March 27, 2011, Marx sang the National Anthem at the NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
race, the 2011 Auto Club 400. - On May 3, 2011 Richard Marx was invited on stage at the Curran Theater, San Francisco, by Hugh Jackman. It was opening night of Hugh Jackman In Performance. When introducing the mystery guest Hugh Jackman said that the person was instrumental in helping him put the show together and rehearse. That he had been on at least 4 occasions in this person's living room practicing. The mystery guest was revealed to be Richard Marx. They then sang "Right Here Waiting" together with Marx changing the lyrics on the last chorus to "Right here waiting for Hugh".
- In summer 2011, Marx collaborated with comedy internet giants, Rhett and LinkRhett and LinkRhett and Link are the comedy, filmmaking, musical and advertising duo of Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. They star in the television show Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings on the Independent Film Channel. They are known for their videos, songs and commercials and are one of the most subscribed...
, producing a celebrity endorsement for a colon cleansing spa in Sacramento, CA. The ad spot and its "making of" was featured on an episode of Rhett and Link's series on IFC.
Personal life
On January 8, 1989, Marx married the singer/dancer/actress Cynthia RhodesCynthia Rhodes
Cynthia Rhodes is an American actress, singer and dancer most noted for her roles in Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Staying Alive.- Career :...
. Rhodes acted and sang in Staying Alive
Staying Alive
Staying Alive is the 1983 film sequel to Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta as dancer Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Joyce Hyser, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso, and dancers Viktor Manoel, Kate Ann Wright, Kevyn Morrow and Nanette Tarpey...
(1982), Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
(1983), and most notably in the 1987 blockbuster Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
, as well as appearing as the female lead in Marx's first video, "Don't Mean Nothing". Rhodes also briefly sang lead for the second incarnation of the synth-pop band Animotion
Animotion
Animotion is a 1980s U.S. New Wave/synthpop band from Los Angeles, California best known for their songs "Obsession" , "Let Him Go", "I Engineer" and "Room to Move"...
in the late 1980s. The couple have three sons—Brandon (born 1990), Lucas (born 1992), and Jesse (born 1994)—and reside in Lake Bluff, Illinois
Lake Bluff, Illinois
Lake Bluff is a village in Lake County, Illinois. It is the closest moderate-sized town near the Great Lakes Navy Base and is North of Lake Forest. The population is 6,056 according to the 2000 census. The town has a police department and volunteer fire department.-History:In 1836, John and...
, a suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Discography
External links
Official- RichardMarx.com (Official Site)
- Official Richard Marx page at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Official Richard Marx page at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Official Richard Marx page on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Richard Marx page at VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
- Richard Marx Music Page at Yahoo!Yahoo!Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...