Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963)[4] is an American adult contemporary and pop rock singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.[5][6]
This article is about the singer. For his father, the jazz pianist, see Dick Marx. For people named Richard Marks, see Richard Marks (disambiguation).
Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx
Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.
- Singer
- songwriter
- Vocals
- piano
- guitar[3]
1968–present
- Capitol
- EMI
- Manhattan
- Signal 21
- Zanzibar
- Frontiers
- Kobalt Label Services
Marx's first number one success as a songwriter came in 1984 with "What About Me?", which was recorded by Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes, and James Ingram, and topped the US and Canadian Adult Contemporary charts. His second chart-topper was 1985's "Crazy", a song he co-wrote with Rogers which reached number one in the Hot Country Songs chart. Marx's self-titled debut album went triple-platinum in 1987, and his first single, "Don't Mean Nothing", reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[7][8] Between 1987 and 1994, he had 14 top 20 hits, including three number one singles.[9]
Marx is the only male artist in history to have his first seven singles reach the top 5 of the Billboard charts.[7] He has scored a total of 14 number one singles, both as a performer and as a songwriter/producer.[5] As a singer, his No. 1 hits include "Hazard", "Right Here Waiting", "Hold On to the Nights", "Endless Summer Nights", and "Satisfied".[10] According to Billboard, Marx "holds the distinction of having written songs that have hit No. 1 on various Billboard charts in each of the last four decades."[11]
Marx has written or collaborated on songs with other artists, including "This I Promise You" by NSYNC and "Dance with My Father" by Luther Vandross.[12] Marx has been nominated for five Grammy Awards. In 2003, he won the Grammy for Song of the Year for "Dance with My Father".[13]
Early life[edit]
Marx was born in Chicago, Illinois,[4] the only child of Ruth (née Guildoo), a former singer, and Dick Marx, a jazz musician and founder of a jingle company in the early 1960s. His father was of German-Jewish descent.[14][15] Marx attended North Shore Country Day School.[16] He has three half-siblings from his father's previous marriage.[17]
Personal life[edit]
On January 8, 1989, Marx married singer, dancer, and actress Cynthia Rhodes, who appeared in Staying Alive, Flashdance, and Dirty Dancing.[4] Rhodes appeared as the female lead in Marx's first video, "Don't Mean Nothing". In April 2014, the couple announced they were divorcing.[36]
On December 23, 2015, Marx married Daisy Fuentes in Aspen, Colorado.[37][38]
On December 21, 2016, it was reported that Marx helped Korean Air flight attendants pacify an unruly, possibly intoxicated passenger while he and his wife were aboard a flight bound from Hanoi to Seoul,[39][40] even providing photographic evidence of the incident.[41][42][43] He also criticized the airline's handling of the situation. In response, Korean Air stated that they would respond more assertively to similar situations in the future.[44]
