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Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963 in Winnetka, Illinois) is an adult contemporary singer, songwriter and record producer. He had a string of successful hit singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "Right Here Waiting", "Hazard", and "Hold On to the Nights". Although most of his successful songs were slow ballads like these, 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 US charts.

Early career

Marx began his career in music at the ripe old age of five, singing commercial jingles written by his father. Marx's list of "commercial" hits includes Arm & Hammer and Nestle Crunch.

Marx was only 17 and living in Highland Park, Illinois when a tape of his songs ended up in the hands of Lionel Richie, who was about to embark on a solo career apart from The Commodores. Blessed with perfect pitch and amazing vocal tonality and range that would put to shame nearly any professional singer, Marx's abudant talent was obvious from the start. Richie said he felt that 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 high school, Marx moved to Los Angeles and visited Richie. "He was recording his first solo album and having trouble with the background vocal," Richard recalls. "He tells me, ‘Come try this part.’ It worked and I ended up singing on his album." Richard contributed backing vocals to Richie’s hit "You Are" as well as "Running With The Night" and "All Night Long" on Richie's second album.

In those early years, Richard would find any excuse possible to labor in the recording industry. His enthusiasm and his presence in the studio landed him several jobs as a background singer for artists like Madonna and Whitney Houston, and, eventually, as a songwriter. He was singing for Kenny Rogers in 1984 when he overheard Rogers say he needed a new song. Within days, Richard gave him a demo of "Crazy." Rogers recorded it, along with another of Richard’s songs, "What About Me," which also featured James Ingram and Kim Carnes. The heart-wrenching three-part ballad hit #1 Adult Contemporary and reached #15 on Billboard's Hot 100. It also made the Country and R&B charts. "Crazy" reached #1 Country and #5 Adult Contemporary . Soon after, Richard began working with producer David Foster and writing songs for the group Chicago and R&B singer Freddie Jackson, among others.

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 major star on his hands. Combined with his phenomenal good looks, it was inevitable that Richard would soon garner massive attention. Lundvall gave Marx a record deal and the opportunity to write and record whatever he wanted. Already well connected to some of the music industry's top players, 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 an exciting ten-track album that put Richard on the path to astounding success.

Music career

Debut album

Marx's self-titled debut album, released in June 1987, yielded four huge hit singles and sold nearly 4 million copies in the US alone. The debut single, "Don’t Mean Nothing", 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. Richard 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", was Richard’s first #1 single.

With the success of his self-titled album, Richard became the first male artist to reach the Top 3 with four singles from a debut album. His striking physical attributes helped to establish him as a major music video icon and popular sex symbol as well. Although notoriously shy and modest, Marx would become adored by females (and some males) the world over. He embarked on his first world tour, initially opening for REO Speedwagon, but quickly began headlining his own shows. Richard'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, Richard was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Vocal Performance - Solo" for "Don’t Mean Nothing" alongside major artists Tina Turner, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker and winner Bruce Springsteen.

Marx later revealed in an interview on VH-1 Classic that his favorite song that he performed from his first, self-titled album was "Have Mercy".

Repeat Offender

Repeat Offender, Richard’s second release (May 1989) knocked Prince out of the #1 slot on Billboard's Top Albums chart, went triple platinum within a few short months and has, to date, sold close to 6 million copies in the US alone. 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 Richard. "Some people might think that it would be easier this time around, that I could just kick back," Richard said at the time, "but the truth is, it’s harder, I’ve got more to prove."

The first two singles, "Satisfied" and Richard's Platinum-selling signature tune "Right Here Waiting," both reached #1, completing a string of three consecutive No. 1 singles. "Right Here Waiting" was the year's biggest hit (both Pop and Adult Contemporary) for 1989 and continues to be a modern day classic. When the third single from Repeat Offender, "Angelia" climbed to #4, Marx became the first solo artist in history to reach the Top 5 with his first seven singles. He was also one of the most popular acts on MTV and featured prominently in media publications.

Another song from the album, "Children Of The Night" (#13 Pop, #6 Adult Contemporary) was written in support of the Los Angeles-based organization for runaways. It became the fifth hit single from Repeat Offender with all royalties donated to the charity. Throughout his career, Richard Marx has contributed greatly to numerous charities, particularly ones benefitting children in need. Eternally kind-hearted Richard even gave his first Gold album to a sixteen-year-old fan suffering from cancer upon visiting her in her hospital room.

Marx's second world tour began in the spring of 1989 and took him to Australia, 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. Richard was now a global superstar and one of the entertainment industry's biggest names.

Marx also had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform the Beatles’ "Help" at the Berlin Wall in late 1989. Richard also received his second Grammy nomination in 1990 for "Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male" for “Right Here Waiting”. He was predicted to be the category's winner but, in a major upset, lost to Michael Bolton. Marx was busy touring the world at the moment and was far more excited about becoming a new father, which he did on September 11, 1990 with the arrival of his son Brandon.

Other albums

Marx went on to release a number of other albums. In 1991 he released his third consecutive multi-Platinum album Rush Street. This album saw major artists such as Luther Vandross and Billy Joel appear as backing vocalists and guest pianists. The disc's first single, "Keep Coming Back" went Top 10 Pop as well as #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart 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, and is considered to be one of the biggest worldwide hits of the 1990s. Capitol continued to release hits from the album, including "Take This Heart" and "Chains Around My Heart". Always intensely serious in demeanor, Richard never took seriously his sex-symbol status and reportedly turned down offers from publications including Playgirl magazine to pose nude. To this day, Marx has never even been photographed shirtless or in shorts.

In early 1994, as Richard and his family permanently left Los Angeles behind and returned to their cherished Chicago area, Richard released Paid Vacation, and scored his fourth consecutive Platinum album. The Top 10 acoustic ballad Now and Forever 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", reached #3 and featured an exciting music video filmed at Chicago's Navy Pier. This album saw collaborations with Lionel Richie and Luther Vandross, among others. Also featured on this disc were stand-out tracks "Silent Scream" and "Nothing Left Behind Us".

Marx's sales bonanza had run its course in the US by the time of his 1987 release Flesh And Bone - although he continued to be a major force in other parts of the world. Flesh And Bone was fashioned in the mold of classic R&B and considered by many to be Marx's finest recording. Filled with achingly personal compositions and Richard's finest arrangements - it featured the #3 single Until I Find You Again. Richard's relationship with his record company had unfortunately soured by this point and Flesh And Bone became his first album not to go Platinum in the US. That mattered little as Marx would become one of the most in-demand songwriters and producers in the business, working with an endless array of well-known names.

The year 2000 saw RM releasing his next project, Days In Avalon, on his own independent Signal 21 record label. Due to distribution problems, it failed to chart in the states. The title song, however, was picked up by Adult Contemporary radio stations as an album track and spent 12 weeks in the Top 30. The disc closed with the mournful "Straight From My Heart", a tear-jerker about Richard's beloved father who had recently died in an accident. As something of a fluke but to the delight of his fans, Marx did a tour of small clubs - even playing The Magic Bag in Detroit - around Christmas of that year.

Marx was back with a vengeance in 2004. By now a devout physical fitness guru and looking more spectacular than ever as he hit age 40, Richard continued to draw attention for his stunning physicality. That year he was awarded the Grammy for Song Of The Year for "Dance With My Father", a major hit he had written for Luther Vandross shortly before Luther's debilitating stroke. Richard was once again with the EMI-Capitol imprint and returned to the Billboard charts that summer with a harder-edged album My Own Best Enemy which featured "When You're Gone" and "Ready To Fly". Always in demand for live performances, Marx continues to tour frequently and play to capacity audiences around the globe.

Richard's first Greatest Hits compilation was released in November 1997. The 16-track album includes all of the hit singles from his first five albums plus "Angel’s Lullaby," a song written about his children that originally appeared 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.

Work with other artists

Marx also sang with Donna Lewis, best known for her hit "I Love You Always Forever", on the track "At The Beginning" for the Gold-certified Anastasia soundtrack. The duet climbed to #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart (#45 on the Hot 100) where it remained for 6 weeks, locked out of the top slot by Elton John's 10 week run with "Something About The Way You Look Tonight". Richard also sang background vocals for Madonna on her seven-million selling True Blue album.

Marx is featured on Julio Iglesias's multi-Platinum 1984 crossover 1100 Bel Air Place album on the song "Moonlight Lady."

He has served as a writer/producer for an extensive list of other recording artists, including Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, 98 Degrees, Kenny Loggins, Emerson Drive, Luther Vandross, Michael Bolton, *NSYNC, Olivia Newton-John, Sarah Brightman, SheDaisy, Farnsy aka John Farnham, Vince Gill and many others.

In 1999, Marx completed two successful tours of China, started his own record company "Signal 21 Records", and built a state-of-the-art recording studio, all while writing and recording songs for his sixth studio release and donating his time and talents to a long list of worthy causes. Richard’s work with other artists in 1999 included writing and producing songs for opera singer Sarah Brightman, Barbra Streisand and Vince Gill, pop group *NSYNC, and country stars SHeDAISY and Shane Minor.

Even in 2000, Marx co-wrote and produced songs such as "Angel On My Shoulder" for Natalie Cole and "To Where You Are" for singer Josh Groban. His work with other artists in 2000 included writing and producing songs, such as "Brand New Year" for SHeDAISY's Christmas album and two songs, "Crazy Me" and "I Do It For Your Love", for his old friend Kenny Rogers' album "There You Go Again." After working at length with N*SYNC, a track Richard had written and produced for them, "This I Promise You", held the #1 AC position in Billboard for an amazing 13 weeks. They performed the song together on the group's television Christmas special that year, at which time Marx's ultra-powerful emotive vocal delivery drew considerable attention by far surpassing the modest vocals of the boy band's.

After that, Marx wrote and produced songs with Michael Bolton for Bolton's new album Only A Woman Like You. In 2001, Marx wrote four songs with Kenny Loggins for Rogers' upcoming album. His work with other artists in 2001 and 2002 includes writing and producing songs for new pop and country artists such as Emerson Drive and Marie Sisters.

At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in February, 2004, an awestruck Carole King presented Marx with the Grammy for Song of the Year for "Dance With My Father," which he wrote with Luther Vandross. King reportedly claimed to be overwhelmed at being face to face with the incredibly handsome artist.

One of Marx's most recent works is a song titled "Remember When," composed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. Performed by LeAnn Rimes, the song may be heard on the park's official 50th Anniversary album, as well as selected times in the park.

In 2006, Latin superstar Julio Iglesias recorded Richard's hit "Right Here Waiting" for his latest album Romantic Classics which was released September 19, 2006, 22 years after Richard sang with Julio on the hit "Moonlight Lady."

American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken's album, titled A Thousand Different Ways, also features "Right Here Waiting." It was released on September 19, 2006.

In June 2006, Marx toured with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band. Other members of this year's All Starr Band are Hamish Stuart, Edgar Winter, Billy Squier and Sheila E.

During August and September 2006, Marx toured Australia for the first time in many years. While on that tour, he announced that his next album is scheduled to be released in April 2007.

Marx has been signed up to appear in Fox's forthcoming TV show called "Celebrity Duets". Other singers to take part in the series include Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Brian McKnight, Macy Gray, Patti LaBelle, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Loggins, Randy Travis, Jesse McCartney, and Gladys Knight.

Richard Marx and - Country music's hottest artist - his long-time buddy Keith Urban have written a song called "Everybody," for Urban's new disc called Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing. The Platinum-certified album, which is Keith's fourth in a row, debuted at #1 on the Country Albums chart and hit #3 on the Billboard 200.

+++This article fully updated and completed by 63.3.69.6 17:58, 4 April 2007 (UTC) MARCUS WATSON, Plymouth, MI+++

Personal

Richard is the only son of Ruth, a former singer, and the late Dick Marx, a jazz musician and founder of a successful jingle company in the early 1960s.

In 1989, Marx married singer/dancer/actress Cynthia Rhodes. Rhodes starred in 1982's Staying Alive, 1983's Flashdance, and most notably in the 1987 blockbuster Dirty Dancing. 'Rhodes' is also former lead singer for 1980's pop band Animotion. The couple have three sons: Brandon (born on September 11, 1990), Lucas, and Jesse. Brandon is also a gifted singer and musican. The Marx family live in a house by the lake in Lake Bluff, Illinois, United States.

Musical influences / favorite artists

In addition to his parents, Marx names recording artists like Sam Cooke and Elvis Presley as his biggest musical influences and includes Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, the Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, Luther Vandross, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Gladys Knight in his list of favorites.

Discography

Albums

• 1987: 'Richard Marx' (#8 US)
• 1989: 'Repeat Offender' (#1 US)
• 1991: 'Rush Street' (#35 US)
• 1994: 'Paid Vacation' (#35 US)
• 1997: 'Flesh and Bone' (#70 US)
• 1998: 'Greatest Hits' (#140 US)
• 2000: 'Days In Avalon' (NC/US - Independent Release)
• 2004: 'My Own Best Enemy' (#126 US)

Singles

External links

• RichardMarx.com (Official Site)
• RichardMarxOnline.com (Official Interactive Fan Site)
• Official Richard Marx MySpace
• Richard Marx VH1 Artist Page
• Waterfalls: Richard Marx Fansite
• Hazard's Richard Marx Page
• Richard Marx Fan Site by Creative Fusion Studio
• Missy's Richard Marx Page
• Denise's Richard Marx Fansite
• Richard Marx Yahoo Music Page

• 1963 births
• American male singers
• American pop singers
• American singer-songwriters
• Chicago musicians
• Grammy Award winners
• Living people