Robert Hazard
Encyclopedia
Robert HazardRobert Hazard (born Robert Rimato, (August 21, 1948 – August 5, 2008), was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, musician, probably best known for composing and recording the song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", which Cyndi Lauper
covered, turning the song into a best-selling hit. He also composed the 1980s New Wave
and MTV
hits, "Escalator of Life" and "Change Reaction", which he performed with his band, Robert Hazard and the Heroes, which was popular in the Philadelphia club scene during the 1980s. These songs appeared on the five song EP
Robert Hazard, released in 1982. Hazard's first major label album, Wing of Fire, was released by RCA Records
in January 1984.
, and graduated from Springfield High School in 1966. He was profiled in a 1981 Rolling Stone
article by Kurt Loder
. In the piece, Loder describes Hazard's musical history as a musician "... who started out as a Dylan-era folkie, then spent eight years singing country & western. 'I just love country music,' he explains — which of course explains nothing, least of all the two years he subsequently spent with a reggae band ... or his current electro-pop approach, which owes little to any of the above".
His final recordings were country albums, beginning with The Seventh Lake (2003) and continuing with Blue Mountain (2004). In 2007, Rykodisc
signed Hazard and released his album, Troubador.
in Boston, Massachusetts on August 5, 2008 after surgery for pancreatic cancer
, with which he had recently been diagnosed. He was living with his wife and two sons near Old Forge, New York
, at the time of his death. He also is survived by an older daughter.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, musician, probably best known for composing and recording the song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", which Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi 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...
covered, turning the song into a best-selling hit. He also composed the 1980s New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
hits, "Escalator of Life" and "Change Reaction", which he performed with his band, Robert Hazard and the Heroes, which was popular in the Philadelphia club scene during the 1980s. These songs appeared on the five song EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Robert Hazard, released in 1982. Hazard's first major label album, Wing of Fire, was released by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
in January 1984.
Escalator of Life
Hazard was son of an opera singer. He grew up in Springfield Township, Delaware County, PennsylvaniaSpringfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
, and graduated from Springfield High School in 1966. He was profiled in a 1981 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling 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...
article by Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder is an American film critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at Rolling Stone, during a tenure that Reason later called "legendary". He has contributed to articles in Reason, Esquire, Details, New York, and Time. He has also made cameos on...
. In the piece, Loder describes Hazard's musical history as a musician "... who started out as a Dylan-era folkie, then spent eight years singing country & western. 'I just love country music,' he explains — which of course explains nothing, least of all the two years he subsequently spent with a reggae band ... or his current electro-pop approach, which owes little to any of the above".
His final recordings were country albums, beginning with The Seventh Lake (2003) and continuing with Blue Mountain (2004). In 2007, Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
signed Hazard and released his album, Troubador.
Death and family
Hazard died at Massachusetts General HospitalMassachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
in Boston, Massachusetts on August 5, 2008 after surgery for pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
, with which he had recently been diagnosed. He was living with his wife and two sons near Old Forge, New York
Old Forge, New York
Old Forge is a hamlet on New York State Route 28 in the town of Webb in Herkimer County, New York. Old Forge was formerly a village that dissolved its incorporation, but remains the principal community in the region. Old Forge forms an extensive business district, primarily directed at tourism...
, at the time of his death. He also is survived by an older daughter.
External links
- Robert Hazard Bio at Phillyrockers.com
- Robert Hazard and the Heroes history page at Phillyrockers.com
- 2007 performance of "Escalator of Life" by students of The Paul Green School of Rock MusicThe Paul Green School of Rock MusicSchool of Rock is a performance-based music program for those between the ages of 8 and 18. This for-profit educational company operates and franchises after-school music instructional programs in the United States and Mexico...
, with Robert Hazard singing, on YouTube - RobertHazard.com, currently redirects to Robert Hazard's Bio page at thepressoffice.com
- Obituary in The Independent