Richard Marx: Singer, Songwriter and Musician

Richard Noel Marx was born on September 16, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois. Richard is the only child of Ruth and Dick Marx. Ruth was a former singer and Dick was a jazz musician and founder of a successful jingle company in the 1960's.

Richard was five when he began his career in music. He began by singing jingles written by his father.

By the time Richard was seventeen, he lived in Highland Park, Illinois when a tape of his songs landed in the hands of Linoel Richie. Richie thought Richard had the talent to make it big. Richie told Richard he should go to Los Angeles and so, after graduating high school, Richard move d to Los Angeles. He visited Richie who was having trouble recording his first solo album. Richie had Richard try singing a part and Richard ended up singing background vocals on the songs you "You Are", "Running with the Night", and "All Night Long". He also sang on Richie's follow-up album Can't Slow Down.

Marx found any excuse possible to stay within the music industry. By doing so he became the background singer for such people as Madonna, and Whitney Houston. He eventually became a songwriter.

In 1984, he sang to songs for Kenny Rogers and Kenny recorded two songs for Marx "Crazy" and "What About Me?" "What About Me?" hit the adult contemporary list at number one and landed on the Billboard Hot 100 list. "Crazy" hit number one on the country list and number five on the adult contemporary list.

Soon after these hit songs, Marx began working with producer David Foster and wrote songs for the band Chicago and R&B singer Freddie Jackson.

Marx continued to pursue a record deal while writing songs and doing background vocals. Marx had a demo tape of "Crazy" and "What About Me?" but it was continuously rejected in Hollywood. Four years later the president of EMI/Manhatten Records, Bruce Lunvalli, heard Marx sing and gave him a record deal and the opportunity to write whatever he wanted.

In 1987, Marx's self-titled debut album was released. The album yielded four hit singles and sold nearly four million copies in the United States. The four hit singles were "Don't Mean Nothin", "Endless Summer Nights", "Should've Known Better", "Hold Onto the Nights". With this success, Marx became the first male artist to reach the top three with four singles from his debut album. He set off on his first world tour and opened for REO Speedwagon. This eventually changed and he began headlining his own shows. The debut album remained on the charts for more than half a year.

Marx went on to release other albums such as Repeat Offender, Rush Street, Paid Vacation, Flesh and Bone, Greatest Hits, Days in Avalon, My Own Best Enemy and Duo.

In the fall of 2008, he released the songs "Emotional Remains" and "Sundown".

Throughout the years he has performed several compilations with singers such as Luther Vandraus and Ringo Star and His All Star Band.

Marx's musical influences are Same Cooke, Elvis Presley, Donny Hathaway, Steven Tyler, Elton John, Kenny Logins, Peter Gabriel, Daniel Lanois, Annie Lennox, among several others.

In 1999, Marx built Renegade Studios, located in Chicago, Illinois.

Marx married singer, dancer and actress Cynthia Rhodes on January 1989. They have three sons Brandon, Lucas and Jesse.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Marx