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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Rupert Holmes| image =| image_size =| caption =| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = birth date and age|1947|2|24| genre = Soft rock , pop rock , show tunes | occupation = Singer-songwriter, musician, playwright, author| years_active = 1970–present| label = Epic Records , Infinity Records , MCA Records , Elektra Records | associated_acts = Sparks (band)|Sparks | website = http://www.rupertholmes.com Rupert Holmes (born February 24, 1947) is an English-born American composer, singer-songwriter , musician and author of plays, novels and stories. He is best known for his number one pop hit " Escape (Rupert Holmes song)|Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979/1980) and the song " Him (Rupert Holmes song)|Him ", which reached the number 6 position on the Hot 100 U.S. pop chart in 1980. He is also known for his 1985 Tony Award -winning musical Drood (originally The Mystery of Edwin Drood ) and his 2007 Drama Desk Award -winning book for the Broadway theatre|Broadway musical Curtains (musical)|Curtains , and for his television series Remember WENN .
Life and career
Holmes was born David Goldstein in Northwich , Cheshire , England. His father, Leonard Goldstein, was a United States Army Warrant Officer (United States)|Warrant Officer and bandleader, his mother, Gwen, was English, and both were musical. Holmes has dual American and British citizenship. The family moved when Holmes was six years old to the northern New York City suburb of Nanuet, New York , where Holmes grew up and attended nearby Nyack, New York|Nyack High School and then the Manhattan School of Music (majoring in clarinet). Holmes' brother, Richard, is an opera singer based in New York City and is the principal lyric baritone of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players , sings roles with regional opera companies, such as Glimmerglass Opera , Lake George, and Virginia Opera , among others, and has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera .
In 1969, Holmes married childhood friend Elizabeth "Liza" Wood Dreifuss, an attorney. Holmes' daughter Wendy died suddenly in 1986, at the age of ten, of an undiagnosed brain tumor . He has two sons, Nick and Timothy, the latter of whom has autism .
Songwriter and recording artist
In his 20s, Holmes was a session musician (producing sessions, writing and arranging songs, singing and playing a few instruments). In March 1970, he and Ron Dante ( The Cuff Links and The Archies ) recorded "Jennifer Tomkins" for release on their second album, The Cuff Links . During the recording of that album, Dante was prohibited by the studio that produced The Archies from any involvement in new recording ventures and was forced to drop out of The Cuff Links . Holmes finished the project and released "Jennifer Tomkins" separately under a different studio name, The Street People. http://video.aol.com/video-detail/jennifer-tomkins-the-street-people/2913485933/? icid=VIDURVMUS12 Jennifer Tomkins", The Street People, video.aol.com The song was on the Billboard (magazine) pop charts for 15 weeks, beginning January 3, 1970, reaching a peak of 36. A follow up single called "Thank You Girl" reached 96 on the Billboard pop charts in April 1970.
Holmes played the piano for both The Cuff Links and The Buoys ,Summers, Kim. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rupert-holmes-p18292/biography Rupert Holmes: Biography. AllMusic, accessed April 6, 2011 with whom he had his first international hit, " Timothy (song)|Timothy ", in 1971, a top-40 song about cannibalism . http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php? id=2005 Timothy at Songfacts, accessed 12 January 2009 He also wrote "Give Up Your Guns", "The Prince of Thieves", "Blood Knot" and "Tomorrow" for the band. "Timothy" charted in the U.S. at number 17 and "Give Up Your Guns" at number 84. Holmes also wrote jingles and pop tunes (including for Gene Pitney , the Platters , the Drifters , Wayne Newton , Dolly Parton , Barry Manilow and television's The Partridge Family ).Minnick, Susan L. http://www.us.imdb.com/name/nm0392035/bio Rupert Homes biography at the IMDB website
As a recording artist, Holmes broke through with his first album, 1974's Widescreen on Epic Records , which introduced him as a presenter of highly romantic, lushly orchestrated "story songs" that told a witty narrative punctuated by clever rhymes and a hint of comedy. Barbra Streisand discovered this album and asked to record songs from it, launching Holmes on a successful career. She then used some of his songs in the movie A Star Is Born (1976 film)|A Star Is Born . He also arranged, conducted and wrote songs on her 1975 album, Lazy Afternoon and five of her other albums. http://totaltheater.com/index.php? id=75& idcat=& ncat=periodica& option=com_totaltheater& task=view Feature on Curtains at the Total Theatre website Holmes' second, self-titled album led Rolling Stone to compare him with Bob Dylan in the sense of being an artist of unprecedented originality that commanded attention.
Holmes' production skills were also in demand during this period, and he took on this role for Lynsey De Paul on her album Tigers and Fireflies , which spawned the radio hit "Hollywood Romance". The album also featured a song, the bluesy "'Twas", co-written by the two. He additionally produced Sparks (band)|Sparks ' 1976 LP, Big Beat (album)|Big Beat , though the album was not a success.
"Escape" was included on Holmes' fifth album, Partners in Crime (album)|Partners in Crime , and reached the Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1979 (USA)|Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1979 . Another popular song on that album was " Him (Rupert Holmes song)|Him ", which peaked at number 6 on the Hot 100. He had another top-40 hit with "Answering Machine". In 1986, Holmes's composition " You Got It All " (sometimes called "You Got It All Over Him") was a top 3 hit single for The Jets (1980s pop band)|The Jets and was later recorded by pop superstar Britney Spears and featured in her internationally released version of Oops!… I Did It Again (2000). He also produced two songs for singer Judy Collins that appeared on her album Sanity and Grace .Citation needed|date=April 2008 His song "The People That You Never Get To Love" was featured on four albums by Susannah McCorkle The People That You Never Get To Love (1981), From Bessie To Brazil (1993), Most Requested Songs (2001) and Ballad Essentials (2002). Frank Sinatra, Jr. also recorded the tune on his That Face! album (2006).
In the 1980s and 1990s, Holmes also played in cabarets and comedy clubs, mostly in New York City, telling often autobiographical anecdotes illustrated with his songs.
Playwright
Rupert Holmes made his professional debut as a playwright with the Musical theater|musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood , later known as Drood , in 1985. Holmes was encouraged to write a musical by Joseph Papp and his wife after they attended one of Holmes's cabarets in 1983. The result, loosely based on the Charles Dickens unfinished novel , and inspired by Holmes's memories of English pantomime shows he attended as a child, would earn Holmes the Tony Award for both book and score, as well as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics , Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music , the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical , and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations , among various other honors. Holmes also orchestrated Drood himself, making him one of the few Broadway composers to write his own orchestrations. Because the original novel was left unfinished after Dickens's death, Holmes came up with the unusual idea of providing alternate endings for each character who is suspected of the murder, and letting the audience vote on a different murderer each night. The success of Drood would lead Holmes to focus more on writing plays (both musical and non-) in later years, though he has stated that he avoided musical theater for some time after the death of his daughter.
Holmes also wrote the Tony Award-nominated ("Best Play 2003") Say Goodnight, Gracie , based on the relationship between George Burns and Gracie Allen . The play, which starred Frank Gorshin , was that Broadway season's longest running play and the third longest-running solo-performance show in Broadway history.Gioia, Michael. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/154560-Joel-Rooks-Will-Say-Goodnight-Gracie-at-Off-Broadways-St-Lukes "Joel Rooks Will Say Goodnight Gracie at Off-Broadway's St. Luke's", Playbill.com, September 14, 2011 He has also written the comedy-thriller Accomplice (play)|Accomplice (1990), which was the second of Holmes's plays to receive an Edgar Award (following Drood ). Holmes has written a number of other shows, including Solitary Confinement , which played on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre in 1992Gussow, Mel. http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html? res=9E0CE7DD103BF93AA35752C1A964958260 "The Manipulations of a Villain Trapped In His Own Devices", The New York Times , November 9, 1992 and set a new Kennedy Center box office record before its Broadway run; Thumbs , the most successful play in the history of the Helen Hayes Theatre Company; and the musical Marty (2002), starring John C. Reilly . http://www.playbill.com/news/article/78049.html Review of the Boston production of Marty Playbill (2003) Holmes also joined the creative team of Curtains (musical)|Curtains , after the deaths of both Peter Stone (the original book-writer) and Fred Ebb (the lyricist). Holmes rewrote Stone's original book and contributed additional lyrics to the Kander and Ebb songs. Curtains played at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway, and David Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk starred in the lead roles. Holmes and Peter Stone (posthumously) won the 2007 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical for Curtains .
Holmes wrote the book of ''The First Wives' Club – The Musical , a musical theatre version of the film The First Wives Club , which played at The Old Globe Theater in San Diego, California from July 17, 2009 through August 23, 2009.Jones, Kenneth. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/129771 "Musical First Wives Club Will Now Convene July 17 Toward July 31 Opening". Playbill.com, June 1, 2009 The score is by Lamont Dozier , Brian Holland and EddieHolland .Hebert, James. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080905/news_1c05globe.html "Globe to be first to stage musical First Wives Club ". The San Diego Union-Tribune'', September 5, 2008 Holmes had been engaged to write the musical in 2006.Simonson, Robert. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/99901.html "Rupert Holmes to Pen Book for First Wives Club Musical". Playbill.com, May 26, 2006 The director of the San Diego production was Francesca Zambello ,Hebert, James. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080905/news_1c05globe.html "Globe to be first to stage musical 'First Wives Club'", The San Diego Union-Tribune , September 5, 2008 with a cast including Karen Ziemba , Sheryl Lee Ralph , Barbara Walsh and John Dossett .Gans, Andrew. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/129292 "Ziemba, Lenox and Walsh to Star in Old Globe's First Wives Club". Playbill.com, May 15, 2009 http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130293-Tell_Us_Miss_Jones_Sheryl_Lee_Ralph_Will_Be_Part_of_First_Wives_Club "Tell Us, Miss Jones: Sheryl Lee Ralph Will Be Part of First Wives Club". Playbill.com, June 16, 2009 The production received generally unenthusiastic reviews but sold well. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006835.html? categoryid=3689& cs=1 "Critics have issues with 'First Wives'". Variety.com August 3, 2009 After the run, Zambello dropped out as director, and the producers announced that they were seeking a new a new director and choreographer, for a possible Broadway production, but retaining Holmes.Hetrick, Adam and Kenneth Jones. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/134535-Zambello-Bows-Out-as-Director-of-The-First-Wives-Club-Musical "Zambello Bows Out as Director of The First Wives Club Musical". Playbill.com, November 11, 2009, accessed April 29, 2010
Holmes next wrote the book for a jukebox musical , Robin and the 7 Hoods , inspired by the Robin and the 7 Hoods|1964 film of the same name starring FrankSinatra , with a new story line that Holmes set in the Mad Men era of 1962. Songs are by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen , including " My Kind of Town ". A production ran throughout August 2010, again at the Old Globe. Casey Nicholaw directed and choreographed. The story is about a likable gangster hoping to get out of the crime business. A do-gooding TV reporter likens him to a modern day Robin Hood.Stevens, Rob. http://www.theatermania.com/san-diego/reviews/08-2010/robin-and-the-7-hoods_28909.html '"Review: Robin and the 7 Hoods ". TheaterMania, August 2, 2010Jones, Kenneth. http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/142054-PLAYBILLCOMS-BRIEF-ENCOUNTER-With-Rupert-Holmes "Playbill.com's Brief Encounter with Rupert Holmes". Playbill.com, August 16, 2010
Holmes adapted the John Grisham novel and film of A Time to Kill for the stage. The play premiered at the Arena Stage , Washington, DC, running in May and June 2011.Jones, Kenneth. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/150570-A-Time-to-Kill-With-Sebastian-Arcelus-Dion-Graham-Erin-Davie-Begins-World-Premiere-in-DC " A Time to Kill , with Sebastian Arcelus, Dion Graham, Erin Davie, Begins World Premiere in DC". Playbill.com, May 6, 2011 The courtroom drama, set against a background of evolving 1980s Southern racial politics, has been called "funny, shocking, witty, and sly".Ponick, Terry. http://dctheatrescene.com/2011/05/26/a-time-to-kill/ A Time to Kill . DCTheatreScene, May 26, 2011
Television writer and novelist
In 1996 Holmes created the television series Remember WENN for American Movie Classics , writing the theme song and all 56 episodes of that series. In 2003 he published his first novel , Where the Truth Lies (later adapted into Where the Truth Lies|a film of the same name by Atom Egoyan ), followed in 2005 by Swing, a multimedia release combining a novel with a music CD providing clues to the mystery. Holmes's newest novel, The McMasters Guide To Homicide: Murder Your Employer ,Holmes, Rupert. The McMasters Guide To Homicide: Murder Your Employer , TWELVE Publishers, 2009 is slated for release in 2010.
Discography
Albums
Does not include others' collections or albums released without Holmes's participation: # Widescreen . 1974 (Epic: KE 32864 or AL 32864) # Rupert Holmes . 1975 (Epic: KE33443) # Singles . 1976 (Epic: 34288) # Pursuit of Happiness . 1978 (Private Stock/MCA: MCA 3241) # Partners in Crime (album)|Partners in Crime . 1979 (Infinity/MCA: INF 9020) # Adventure . 1980 (MCA: 5129) # Full Circle . 1981 (Electra: P-11086E) # Billboard Top Hits 1980 . 1991 (Rhino: 70674) # Scenario . 1994 (Victor: VICP-5469) # Epoch Collection . 1994 (Varese Sarabande: VSD-5520) # Widescreen (Re-Issue) . 1995 (Varese Sarabande: VSD-5545) # The Best of Rupert Holmes . 1998 (Half Moon/Universal: HMNCD 037) # Rupert Holmes / Greatest Hits . 2000 (Hip-O/Universal: 314 541 557-2) # ''Widescreen - The Collector's Edition . 2001 (Fynsworth Alley: 302 062 1162) (with eleven cuts not previously released). # Cast of Characters - The Rupert Holmes Songbook . 2005 (Hip-O/Universal: B0004263-02) # The Mystery of Edwin Drood . Original Broadway Cast Recording. Polygram
Holmes also wrote and co-produced, and was a keyboardist on, the songs on the disco album Shobizz , released in 1979 by Capitol Records . He also featured as a vocalist on the 1983 album LakeFreeze - The Raccoons Songtrack by The Raccoons .
http://graphikdesigns.free.fr/sparks-big-beat-lp.html Sparks - Sparks "Big Beat" Lp produced by Rupert Holmes
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0392035/ Filmography at IMDB website
http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp? ID=6325 Broadway credits at IBDB website
http://www.culturevulture.net/Theater10/Curtains.htm Review of new musical Curtains .
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html? res=9C0CE7D61539F930A3575BC0A966958260 Review of a 1990 Cabaret performance by Holmes
http://seedyroad.com/nanuet/songs.htm Holmes' song "Terminal", from his 1974 album "Widescreen", at Songs about Nanuet website
DramaDesk Music 1976–2000DramaDesk Book 1976–2000DramaDesk Book 2001–2025DramaDesk Orchestrations 1984–2000TonyAward MusicalScore 1976–2000 Persondata | NAME =Holmes, Rupert | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =February 24, 1947 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Rupert Category:American songwriters Category:American musical theatre composers Category:American musical theatre lyricists Category:American composers Category:American television writers Category:American short story writers Category:American novelists Category:Edgar Award winners Category:Manhattan School of Music alumni Category:Tony Award winners Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:Epic Records artists Category:People from Cheshire Category:People from Scarsdale, New York Category:Musicians from New York Category:American people of English descent
