Rob Hyman
Encyclopedia
Robert Andrew "Rob" Hyman (born April 24, 1950 in Meriden, Connecticut
, U.S.
) is an American singer, songwriter
, keyboard
player, accordion
player, producer
, arranger
and recording studio
owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters
.
lessons at the age of four and grew up playing in local bands in Meriden, Connecticut
, including The Trolls and the Pro-Teens.
He attended Francis T Maloney High School
, where he was the editor of the yearbook
, was voted as Most Likely to Succeed, and was the class valedictorian
.
While attending the University of Pennsylvania
in Philadelphia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science
degree in biology
, Hyman met future bandmate and composing partner Eric Bazilian
and producer Rick Chertoff. In the late 1960s, Hyman and Chertoff, along with local singer David Kagan formed a band called Wax, who recorded an album in the early 1970s
. Hyman and Kagan later formed a new band with Bazilian called Baby Grand in the late 1970s, with Chertoff acting as producer. Baby Grand released two albums on Arista Records
, one eponymous and the other called Ancient Medicine. While the band had some critical success, it never achieved any commercial success and eventually disbanded.
, ska
, folk
, and rock'n'roll to create The Hooters
in 1980.
Nervous Night
, The Hooters
' 1985 debut on Columbia Records
, sold in excess of 2 million copies and included Billboard Top 40 hits "Day By Day" (#18), "And We Danced" (#21) and "Where Do The Children Go" (#38).
After releasing six albums, The Hooters
obtained a large global following throughout the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, they were asked to open three major musical events of the late 20th century: Live Aid
in Philadelphia in 1985, Amnesty International
Concert at Giants Stadium
in 1986, and Roger Waters
' The Wall Concert in Berlin
in 1990. In 1995, The Hooters went on hiatus, although Hyman and Bazilian would continue to collaborate together on musical projects for other artists.
Hyman reunited with The Hooters on successful headlining European summer tours in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
2007 saw the release of Time Stand Still
, their first album of new material since 1993.
and together they wrote the Billboard
number one hit "Time After Time
," which earned Hyman a Grammy Award
nomination for Song of the Year
in 1984. The song went on to be covered by over 100 artists including Miles Davis
, Willie Nelson
, Matchbox 20, Everything But The Girl
and Cassandra Wilson
.
Hyman also composed, arranged and played on Patty Smyth
's 1987 solo album Never Enough, which was produced by Hyman's college friend and producer for The Hooters
, Rick Chertoff. The title track was a cover of an old Baby Grand song.
In 1995, Hyman wrote, played and arranged on Joan Osborne
's debut album, Relish
, which went on to be nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year
.
In 1998, Hyman again collaborated with Chertoff to create the concept album Largo, which was based on the largo movement of Antonín Dvořák
's Symphony No. 9, in E Minor From the New World
. The project featured Joan Osborne
, The Chieftains
, David Forman, Willie Nile
, Taj Mahal
, Carole King
and Levon Helm
.
In 1999, Hyman performed on Ricky Martin
's single "Private Emotion
", originally a Hooters song, which was featured on the album Ricky Martin
.
In 2000, Hyman contributed to the Ron Howard
movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by co-writing, co-producing, arranging and playing on "Christmas of Love" performed by Little Isidore and The Inquisitors.
In 2002, Hyman co-produced and played on Dar Williams
' album The Beauty of the Rain, and co-wrote the single "Closer To You." He also wrote and played on her 2005 album My Better Self
.
Hyman has also been involved in songwriting projects with Bette Midler
and a variety of other stage and film projects, as well as development projects with several emerging new artists.
.
, Time Stand Still
. The studio combines vintage analog gear and the latest digital recording equipment, including Pro Tools
HD and houses Hyman's extensive keyboard collection.
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) is an American singer, songwriter
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...
, keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player, accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
player, 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...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
and recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters
The Hooters
The Hooters is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By combining a mix of rock and roll, reggae, ska and folk music, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV airplay of several songs including "All You...
.
Early life
Hyman started taking pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
lessons at the age of four and grew up playing in local bands in Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
, including The Trolls and the Pro-Teens.
He attended Francis T Maloney High School
Francis T Maloney High School
Francis T Maloney High School is a public school located in Meriden, Connecticut. The school's mascot is the Spartan and the school colors are green and white. The school's principal is Ann Hushin. The school's boys basketball team won the Class L CIAC championship against Lyman Hall of Wallingford...
, where he was the editor of the yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
, was voted as Most Likely to Succeed, and was the class valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
.
While attending the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in Philadelphia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Hyman met future bandmate and composing partner Eric Bazilian
Eric Bazilian
Eric M. Bazilian , is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
and producer Rick Chertoff. In the late 1960s, Hyman and Chertoff, along with local singer David Kagan formed a band called Wax, who recorded an album in the early 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
. Hyman and Kagan later formed a new band with Bazilian called Baby Grand in the late 1970s, with Chertoff acting as producer. Baby Grand released two albums on Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, one eponymous and the other called Ancient Medicine. While the band had some critical success, it never achieved any commercial success and eventually disbanded.
Tenure with The Hooters
After Baby Grand disbanded, Hyman and Bazilian decided to try something new by combining reggaeReggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, and rock'n'roll to create The Hooters
The Hooters
The Hooters is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By combining a mix of rock and roll, reggae, ska and folk music, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV airplay of several songs including "All You...
in 1980.
Nervous Night
Nervous Night (album)
Nervous Night is the second studio album by the American rock band The Hooters, released in 1985 by Columbia Records and on CBS Records in Europe.-Background:...
, The Hooters
The Hooters
The Hooters is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By combining a mix of rock and roll, reggae, ska and folk music, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV airplay of several songs including "All You...
' 1985 debut on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, sold in excess of 2 million copies and included Billboard Top 40 hits "Day By Day" (#18), "And We Danced" (#21) and "Where Do The Children Go" (#38).
After releasing six albums, The Hooters
The Hooters
The Hooters is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By combining a mix of rock and roll, reggae, ska and folk music, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV airplay of several songs including "All You...
obtained a large global following throughout the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, they were asked to open three major musical events of the late 20th century: Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
in Philadelphia in 1985, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
Concert at Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
in 1986, and Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
' The Wall Concert in Berlin
The Wall Concert in Berlin
The Wall – Live in Berlin was a live concert performance by Roger Waters and numerous guest artists, of the Pink Floyd studio album, The Wall, itself largely written by Waters during his time with the band. The show was held in Berlin, Germany, on 21 July 1990, to commemorate the fall of the Berlin...
in 1990. In 1995, The Hooters went on hiatus, although Hyman and Bazilian would continue to collaborate together on musical projects for other artists.
Hyman reunited with The Hooters on successful headlining European summer tours in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
2007 saw the release of Time Stand Still
Time Stand Still
Time Stand Still is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Hooters, released in 2007.-Background:The Hooters gathered in October 2006 at keyboard player Rob Hyman's Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the recording of basic tracks, followed by additional...
, their first album of new material since 1993.
Other musical projects
In 1983, Hyman worked with singer Cyndi LauperCyndi Lauper
Cynthia 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...
and together they wrote the Billboard
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...
number one hit "Time After Time
Time after Time (Cyndi Lauper song)
"Time After Time" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remained there for two weeks...
," which earned Hyman a Grammy Award
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 for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
in 1984. The song went on to be covered by over 100 artists including Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Matchbox 20, Everything But The Girl
Everything but the Girl
Everything but the Girl was a two-person English band, formed in Hull during 1981, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, and singer Ben Watt . They are currently inactive although vocalist Tracey Thorn hinted that they may reform someday...
and Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack [who has] expanded the playing field" by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her...
.
Hyman also composed, arranged and played on Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth is an American rock and roll musician. She first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as lead singer of the band Scandal and later scored a solo #2 hit with her song "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"...
's 1987 solo album Never Enough, which was produced by Hyman's college friend and producer for The Hooters
The Hooters
The Hooters is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By combining a mix of rock and roll, reggae, ska and folk music, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV airplay of several songs including "All You...
, Rick Chertoff. The title track was a cover of an old Baby Grand song.
In 1995, Hyman wrote, played and arranged on Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne
Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb...
's debut album, Relish
Relish (album)
Relish is the second album by Joan Osborne, released on September 8, 1995. It is her first studio album. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 38th Grammys.-Background:...
, which went on to be nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
.
In 1998, Hyman again collaborated with Chertoff to create the concept album Largo, which was based on the largo movement of Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
's Symphony No. 9, in E Minor From the New World
Symphony No. 9 (Dvorák)
The Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 , popularly known as the New World Symphony, was composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1893 during his visit to the United States from 1892 to 1895. It is by far his most popular symphony, and one of the most popular in the modern repertoire...
. The project featured Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne
Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb...
, The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
, David Forman, Willie Nile
Willie Nile
Willie Nile is an American singer-songwriter. In 1980 Nile released his self-titled debut album which according to one critic remains “one of the most thrilling post-Byrds folk-rock albums of all time”...
, Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
, Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
and Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
.
In 1999, Hyman performed on Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
's single "Private Emotion
Private Emotion
"Private Emotion" is a pop song written by Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman and originally recorded by The Hooters, for their 1993 album, Out of Body. The song was picked up by Ricky Martin and included on his Ricky Martin album. It was released as a single on February 8, 2000 and featured Swedish...
", originally a Hooters song, which was featured on the album Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin (1999 album)
Ricky Martin is the fifth album by the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin released on Columbia Records on May 11, 1999. The album has sold 22 million copies, worldwide....
.
In 2000, Hyman contributed to the Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by co-writing, co-producing, arranging and playing on "Christmas of Love" performed by Little Isidore and The Inquisitors.
In 2002, Hyman co-produced and played on Dar Williams
Dar Williams
Dar Williams is an American singer-songwriter specializing in pop folk.She is a frequent performer at folk festivals and has toured with such artists as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Griffin, Ani DiFranco, The Nields, Shawn Colvin, Girlyman, Joan Baez, and Catie Curtis.-Biography:Williams was born...
' album The Beauty of the Rain, and co-wrote the single "Closer To You." He also wrote and played on her 2005 album My Better Self
My Better Self
My Better Self is a Dar Williams' album which was released on September 13, 2005 by Razor & Tie.-Track listing:All songs are by Dar Williams if not noted otherwise.#"Teen for God" – 3:28#"I'll Miss You Till I Meet You" – 4:27...
.
Hyman has also been involved in songwriting projects with Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
and a variety of other stage and film projects, as well as development projects with several emerging new artists.
Recognitions
On November 17, 2000, Hyman was inducted into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the ArtsAvenue of the Arts, Philadelphia
The Avenue of the Arts is a segment of Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes many of the city's cultural institutions, most notably the theater district south of City Hall....
.
Elmstreet Studios
In 2002, construction was completed on Hyman's recording studio, Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia. Several projects have been recorded there, including the 2007 album by The HootersThe Hooters
The Hooters is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By combining a mix of rock and roll, reggae, ska and folk music, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV airplay of several songs including "All You...
, Time Stand Still
Time Stand Still
Time Stand Still is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Hooters, released in 2007.-Background:The Hooters gathered in October 2006 at keyboard player Rob Hyman's Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the recording of basic tracks, followed by additional...
. The studio combines vintage analog gear and the latest digital recording equipment, including Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
HD and houses Hyman's extensive keyboard collection.
External links
- Rob Hyman official website
- Elmstreet Studios