Richard Marx ‘Satisfied’ with career, set to play two shows at Mt. Airy
Richard Marx's many musical hats include singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. However, the Grammy winner — set to perform two shows Saturday at Mount Airy Casino Resort, Paradise Township — especially cherishes one role more than others.
“Producing is by far my favorite thing,” said Marx, born in Chicago, Illinois. “I'm grateful I can still tour, but it's recreating music. There's nothing for me that's as exciting as the first time I'm hearing a song I made up in my head, come through the speakers. I hope I get to do that forever. It's one of the reasons I got into writing/producing other people.”
As a “songwriter to the stars,” Marx has written/co-written hits like 'NSync's “This I Promise You” and Song-of-the-Year Grammy winner, Luther Vandross' “Dance with My Father.” He's also enjoyed considerable success as a recording artist, scoring 14 top 20 singles — including No. 1s “Hold On to the Nights,” “Satisfied” and “Right Here Waiting” — on Billboard's Hot 100 between 1987 and 1994. Marx's best-selling album, 1989's “Repeat Offender,” topped 4 million in sales, and his 11th studio effort, 2014's “Beautiful Goodbye,” was his highest-charting album in 20 years.
On the personal side, Marx, in 1989, married Cynthia Rhodes (star of 1980s-era dance flicks “Stayin' Alive,” “Flashdance” and “Dirty Dancing”), with whom he has three sons. The couple's marriage ended after 25 years, and in December, Marx — residing in Los Angeles, California — married model/former MTV VJ Daisy Fuentes.
Prior to his dual shows at Mount Airy, Marx spoke to the Pocono Record and reflected on his career.
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Q: Your mother was a former singer and your jazz-musician father founded a jingle company. Did that fuel your interest in music?
A: It was definitely being born into a household that was not only creating music of their own, but also playing the music of the day. Whereas a lot of my friends, I'd ask, “What music did your parents listen to?” The No. 1 answer was, they didn't have music on in the house, and No. 2, classical music and jazz. My parents were playing the Eagles, Beatles, Stones. It wasn't a matter of following the family business. I started singing before I could talk. It was always clear what I wanted to do.
Sam Cooke and Elvis Presley rank among your biggest musical influences. What was it about them, or others, that inspired you?
Elvis was sorta the first impact on me — his charisma, his performing prowess. Sam Cooke crept in later. I found out that Sam, unlike Elvis, wrote all these amazing songs he sang so well. From a vocal standpoint, I don't know if there's ever been a better singer than Sam Cooke. The moment I knew I wanted to be a songwriter, proper, was when my dad — I was 11 to 12 — sat me down and played an album by Paul Simon, “Still Crazy After All These Years.” It changed my life. I was moved by it, impressed with the sophistication of chord changes, musicianship, lyrics. I was like, “That's it, I want to write songs. That's what I want to do.”
Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers were your first big breaks. Did they help steer you on the path to solo success?
I picked up something from everybody I worked with. Those two were particularly generous. I was a senior in high school when Lionel heard my demo tape. At the time, he was about to leave the Commodores. Maybe next to Michael Jackson, he was the most powerful guy in the business. The fact he called me just to say “I think you're really good, you should move to L.A. and pursue this” . . . talk about a motivating phone call. He did hire me to sing background, and he recommended me to Kenny, who I ended up writing songs for. I started to get other work as a background singer because of that and my songwriting career took off.
Despite your experience, you initially couldn't get signed to a label. After your breakthrough success, did you encounter anyone who had turned you down, who wanted to kick themselves?
There were one or two guys. Every decision they made was steeped in fear of getting fired. For an A&R guy to say yes, it meant writing a check for half a million to $2 million to develop a new artist. A couple people were very discouraging. When you're 19 to 20, and have somebody at a record company tell you you should quit — and this is based on songs that became No. 1 songs — there's a sweetness to running into them two to three years later, getting them to admit they were completely full of (expletive). I'm blessed I did find someone (Bruce Lundvall of EMI Manhattan Records) who signed me, let me produce my first record, didn't A&R it and didn't get in my way. I've got nothing to bitch about. The three to four years I got rejected, I kicked around doing other stuff. I definitely became a better songwriter/musician.
Some musicians liken songs to children, and can't pick favorites. Can you?
One I wrote by myself, “One Thing Left,” from “My Own Best Enemy.” It was never a single, but it's one of my favorite songs I've ever written. A few years ago, with Matt Scannell from Vertical Horizon, we wrote “When You Love Me.” It's one of the best songs I've ever written. I'm proud of my production. Right now, there's a song out by Vince Gill, “Take Me Down.” I wrote it with him and Jillian Jacqueline. It's one of my favorite things I've ever been a part of. I was like, “Dude, it's like you made the best Fleetwood Mac record ever.” It's with Little Big Town singing background vocals. If I do say so, it's a killer song.
Are your children musically inclined?
I always say I have three sons, not one (expletitive) doctor. They're all musicians and exceptional in different genres. My oldest, Brandon, his thing is electronic music. He's also doing quite a bit of feature vocalist work. He goes by Open Water. My middle son, Lucas, is straight pop/R&B, a contemporary singer-songwriter. He'll put out his first EP this year. My youngest, Jesse, is into metal and hard rock. He's got a band. The stuff is pretty heavy, hard, but also melodic.
You've written and recorded very personal material. Is it difficult now to sing songs that you wrote/recorded during your first marriage?
One thing that's great about “Right Here Waiting,” or “Now and Forever,” which I also wrote for my ex-wife, who I have nothing but love for — those songs became such big hits that when I perform them, it's a moment between me and the audience. I don't even have to sing “Right Here Waiting”; I get the word “oceans” out, and the audience is singing the song. It's like a communal experience. It's not about me needing to be in any kind of emotional state. My ex-wife said to me years ago, “That song started out as our song, but now it's everybody's song.” Certain songs are like conversations between me and the audience. The biggest hits, they tend to be those.
Is your newlywed status inspiring new material, and when can fans expect a new album?
I don't know that the album is something anybody gives a (expletive) about anymore. I'm going to put out new music this year. It may just be tracks/singles. I'm influenced by whatever's going on in my life. It's not exclusive to that. I can't help but write certain things, because I'm just in a zone. In the early days, any song I wrote got scrutinized by the fan base as autobiographical.
Such as “Hazard”?
I've had so many people in the last 25 years legitimately ask if that song is autobiographical. “Are you asking me if I killed a girl in Nebraska? Is that what you're asking me?” If you're only writing about your personal experiences, it's going to get a little tedious. I put myself in imaginary situations. When I'm listening to somebody, I can wonder. I wouldn't want to know if that exactly happened to them.
Do you tire of performing any of your songs?
The only time I ever had that experience was “Should've Known Better.” Around the third tour, I started getting tired of it. The band rearranged it, with a totally different take on it. We started doing it that way. Over time, I've changed it up here and there. For the last 10-plus years, I can't wait to play it. I don't have songs that I do, or that I've recorded, that I'm embarrassed by. Certain songs I like a lot less than others, but none where I cringe.
What can the Pocono audience expect from your shows? Will you perform singles that weren't as big as others ?
I was planning to show up drunk and do only songs that weren't good enough to make the albums themselves (laughs). It's a greatest hits show. I love playing all the hits. I'll probably sneak in one or two recent songs, but that's it. Ninety percent is songs they came to hear. “Take This Heart” wasn't nearly as big a hit as “Satisfied” or “Angelia,” but it's no different when I end “Take This Heart” in terms of the response, compared to “Right Here Waiting.” It doesn't matter what the chart positions were.
IF YOU GO
Richard Marx
WHEN: 8 and 10 p.m.
WHERE: Mount Airy Casino Resort, Gypsies Lounge, 312 Woodland Road, Paradise Township
COST: $55
INFORMATION: 877-682-4791, mountairycasino.com