Richard Marx is a famous American musician who became successful thanks to touching songs, sensual love ballads.
There are many songs in Richard's work, so it resonates in the hearts of millions of listeners in many countries of the world.
Childhood of Richard Marx
The future famous musician was born on September 16, 1963 in one of the largest cities in America, in Chicago. He grew up a happy child, which he often talks about in interviews.
For this, he thanks his parents, to whom he dedicates songs at every concert. The father and mother of the future celebrity were musicians, so the boy grew up in a creative atmosphere.
Richard's mom was a successful pop singer, dad earned money by creating jingles - short musical compositions for advertising and programs broadcast on television.
In addition, such performers as Billy Joel and Lionel Richie, whose music Richard Marx got acquainted with at a young age, played a significant role in the development of the future celebrity.
Therefore, without thinking about a future career, the young man decided to devote his life to musical creativity.
At first, mom and dad worked with the boy, later he began to attend musical instrument lessons from several professional performers living in Chicago.
In his school years, he did not quit classes, but began to earn his first money with their help. Sometimes Richard sang in nightclubs, bars, but more often he performed at school events.
Star trek
In 1982, he graduated from high school, after which he decided to go to conquer the musical Olympus in Los Angeles.
But as often happens, life made its own adjustments to the plans of an ambitious teenager, so the road to fame turned out to be thorny and not as fast as Richard expected.
The savings quickly ended, so the young man, like his father, began to make a living creating jingles, which he often performed on his own.
Also during this difficult time, Richard worked part-time on backing vocals with popular musicians. For example, he performed with Madonna, Whitney Houston.
In addition, he managed to fulfill his dream and work with Lionel Ricci. As an arranger, he collaborated with Barbara Streisand, Lara Fabian, Sarah Brightman.
The ascent of the artist to the musical Olympus
All this time, he did not leave the thought of a solo career, sending numerous demos to the recording studio. Several years passed before the head of the large music studio Manhattan Records drew attention to the work of the young musician.
He appreciated the potential of Richard, offering a contract with favorable terms. This allowed the young man to quickly recruit a team of musicians and start writing and recording his first solo music album.
As a result, years of work for other musicians, tedious waiting paid off with a vengeance. The debut album of Richard Marx was liked by critics, listeners and quickly gained popularity. And soon gained the status of platinum.
Such success was a complete surprise to many, except for Richard himself, because he was confident in his own abilities.
After the release of his debut album, he went on his first US city tour. At the same time, three songs of the musician hit the top 100 Billboard.
The performer was very popular, so it is not surprising that soon one of the Hold On to the Night works topped the US music charts.
But Richard didn't stop there. In the late 1980s, he released his second record, which overtook the previous one in terms of popularity and sales.
That year, Richard Marx's Repeat Offender became the highest-grossing album in North America. The musician himself instantly gained the status of an established star of the musical Olympus.
Later, the singer released nine more records, a significant number of collections, live albums, solo singles.
Each new album was doomed to success and popularity. And thanks to the soulful ballads, the musician began to be called "the king of songs and love."
But fame is a capricious lady. And Richard did not manage to stay at the top of the musical Olympus for a long time. The singer did not leave creativity, but he also performed and delighted fans with new ballads. But over time, the interest of the public began to disappear.
Richard Marx today
Like any other creative person, Richard Marx wanted to prolong his popularity, restore his former glory, so he changed the direction of the compositions several times.
He tried to work in blues, rock, pop music. But this did not help, and then Richard decided to give way to young talents, receding into the background.
Today he often acts as a composer, works with Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban. Surprisingly, despite the generational change, Richard managed to be popular.
So, in 2004, his work Dance with my father was awarded the Grammy Award. The award is considered one of the most significant.
Therefore, the high recognition of the musician's work confirmed Richard Marx as a talented and significant performer, composer and producer.
The musician presented his latest album Stories to Tell in 2011. Critics and the public warmly received the album, despite the fact that the compositions were written in an unusual country style.
The personal life of an artist
In January 1989, he married actress Cynthia Rhodes, the couple had three sons. The marriage turned out to be strong, so the couple is happy with each other to this day.
Now the family lives in Lake Bluff, a small town not far from bustling Chicago.
Richard Marx in 2021
In early July 2021, the premiere of a double disc by Richard Marx took place. The collection was called Stories To Tell: Greatest Hits and More. The album included old tracks in an updated sound, in addition, previously unreleased compositions can be heard in the collection. The release of the disc is timed to coincide with the release of his autobiographical book, which describes his creative career from "A" to "Z".
