Edward Thomas Rabbitt (November 27, 1941 – May 7, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as " Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and " Pure Love" for

Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. Nearly completely blind from birth, ...

in 1974. Later in the 1970s, Rabbitt helped to develop the crossover-influenced sound of country music prevalent in the 1980s with such hits as " Suspicions", " I Love a Rainy Night" (a number-one hit single on the Billboard Hot 100), and " Every Which Way but Loose" (the theme from the film of the same title). His duets " Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)" with Juice Newton and " You and I" with

Crystal Gayle Crystal Gayle (born Brenda Gail Webb; January 9, 1951) is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Initially, Gayle's management and record label were the same as that of her oldest sist ...

later appeared on the soap operas ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'' and ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 20 ...

''.

Early life

Rabbitt was born to Irish immigrants Thomas Michael and Mae (née Joyce) Rabbitt in Brooklyn, New York City,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, in 1941, and was raised in the nearby community of

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was List of municipalities in ...

." Eddie Rabbitt, 56, Whose Songs Zigzagged From Pop to Country"
'' The New York Times'', May 9, 1998. Retrieved November 3, 2007. His father was an oil-refinery refrigeration worker, and a skilled fiddle and accordion player, who often entertained in local New York City dance halls. By age 12, Rabbitt was a proficient guitar player, having been taught by his scoutmaster, Bob Scwickrath. During his childhood, Rabbitt became a self-proclaimed "walking encyclopedia of country music". After his parents divorced, he dropped out of school at age 16. His mother, Mae, explained that Eddie "was never one for school ecausehis head was too full of music." He later obtained a high school diploma at night school.Flippo, Chet. "Country Vet Rabbitt Dies," '' Billboard Magazine'', May 23, 1998

Career

Early career

Rabbitt worked as a mental hospital attendant in the late 1950s; but, like his father, he fulfilled his love of music by performing at the Six Steps Down club in his hometown. He later won a talent contest and was given an hour of Saturday night radio show time to broadcast a live performance from a bar in

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Landon, Grelun and Irwin and Lyndon Stambler. ''Country Music Encyclopedia''. MacMillan, 2000 In 1964, he signed his first record deal with

20th Century Records 20th Century Fox Records (also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century Records, or simply 20th Century Fox Film Scores and Fox Records) was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three dis ...

and released the singles "Next to the Note" and "Six Nights and Seven Days". Four years later, with $1,000 to his name, Rabbitt moved to

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

, where he began his career as a songwriter. During his first night in the town, Rabbitt wrote "Working My Way Up to the Bottom", which

Roy Drusky Roy Frank Drusky, Jr. (June 22, 1930 – September 23, 2004) was an American country music singer, songwriter, producer, actor and disc jockey popular from the 1960s through the early 1970s. Known for his baritone voice, he was known for incor ...

recorded in 1968."Eddie Rabbitt Made Breaks on His Own," '' The Spokesman-Review'', February 5, 1977 To support himself, Rabbitt worked as a truck driver, soda jerk, and fruit picker in Nashville. He was ultimately hired as a staff writer for the Hill & Range Publishing Company for $37.50 per week. As a young songwriter, Rabbitt socialized with other aspiring writers at Wally's Clubhouse, a Nashville bar; he said he and the other patrons had "no place else to go." Rabbitt became successful as a songwriter in 1969, when Elvis Presley recorded his song " Kentucky Rain". The song went gold, and cast Rabbitt as one of Nashville's leading young songwriters. Presley also recorded Rabbitt's song "

Patch It Up "Patch It Up" is a song written by Eddie Rabbitt and Rory Bourke and originally recorded by Elvis Presley. He released it as a single, with "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" on the opposite side, in October 1970. A live version of the song recor ...

", which was featured in the concert film "Elvis: That's the Way It Is", and a lesser-known Presley song called "Inherit the Wind" on the album ''Back in Memphis''. While eating Cap'n Crunch,Legro, Ron. "Two Country Charmers," '' Milwaukee Sentinel'', August 12, 1977 he penned " Pure Love", which

rode to number one in 1974. This song led to a contract offer from

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

. Rabbitt signed with Elektra Records in 1975. His first single under that label, "

You Get to Me "You Get to Me" is a song recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt and released in 1974 as the first single from his self-titled debut album. The song was written by Rabbitt and produced by David Malloy. It was Rabbitt's first coun ...

", made the top 40 that year; and two songs in 1975, " Forgive and Forget" and "

I Should Have Married You "I Should Have Married You" is a song recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt and released in 1975 as the third and final single from his self-titled debut album. The song was written by Rabbitt and Even Stevens, and produced by D ...

", nearly made the top 10. These three songs, along with a recording of "Pure Love", were included on Rabbitt's 1975 self-named debut album. The year 1976 saw the release of his critically acclaimed album ''

Rocky Mountain Music ''Rocky Mountain Music'' is the second studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in 1976 under the Elektra Records label. The album produced three singles: "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)", which became Rabbitt' ...

'', which included Rabbitt's first number-one country hit, " Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)". In 1977, his third album, '' Rabbitt'', was released, and made the top five on the Country Albums chart. Also in 1977, the Academy of Country Music named Rabbitt "Top New Male Vocalist of the Year". By that time, Rabbitt had a good reputation in Nashville, and was being compared by critics to singer Kris Kristofferson. That year, at Knott's Berry Farm, Rabbitt appeared at the Country Music Awards and sang several of his songs from ''Rocky Mountain Music''. He won the Top New Male Vocalist of the Year award.

Crossover success

While still relatively unknown, Rabbitt toured with and opened for crossover star Kenny Rogers, and also for Dolly Parton on a number of dates during her 1978 tour. Following the 1978 release of ''Variations'', which included two more number-one hits, Rabbitt released his first compilation album, ''The Best of Eddie Rabbitt''. It produced Rabbitt's first crossover single, " Every Which Way But Loose", which topped country charts and reached the top 30 on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary, and was featured in the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie of the same name. The song also broke the record for highest chart debut, entering at number 18. Rabbitt held this record alone until it was matched

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

's 2005 single " Good Ride Cowboy." The record was broken in 2006 upon the number-17 chart entrance of Keith Urban's " Once in a Lifetime." Rabbitt's next single, the R&B-flavored " Suspicions" from his 1979 album '' Loveline'', was an even greater crossover success, again reaching number one on Country charts and the top 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number five on the Adult Contemporary charts. He was given his own television special on NBC, first airing on July 10, 1980, which included appearances by such performers as

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

and Jerry Lee Lewis. By this point, Rabbitt had been compared to a "young Elvis Presley". Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle 1981-11-13 ticket

Rabbitt's next album, ''

Horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...

'', reached platinum status and contained the biggest crossover hits of his career, " I Love a Rainy Night" and " Drivin' My Life Away." Rabbitt developed "Rainy Night" from a song fragment he penned during a 1960s thunderstorm. "Drivin'" recalled Rabbitt's tenure as a truck driver, and was inspired by Bob Dylan's song " Subterranean Homesick Blues". His popularity was so great at this point that he was offered his own variety television show, which he respectfully declined, saying "It's not worth the gamble." The release of his 1981 '' Step by Step'' album continued Rabbitt's crossover success as all three singles reached the top 10 on both Country and Adult Contemporary charts. The title track became Rabbitt's third straight single to reach the top five on the Country, Adult Contemporary, and ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts. The album ultimately reached gold status, Rabbitt's last album to do so. Rabbitt teamed up with another country pop crossover star,

, on " You and I", which was included on his 1982 album '' Radio Romance''. The duet reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Country chart and became a pop smash, peaking at number seven and number two, respectively, on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. It was used as a love theme for a couple on the soap opera ''

''. The song "You Put the Beat in My Heart" from Rabbitt's second compilation, ''Greatest Hits - Volume II'' (1983), was his last crossover hit, reaching number 15 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Late career

During the 1980s, Rabbitt moved further from crossover-styled music. His 1984 album ''

The Best Year of My Life ''The Best Year of My Life'' is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in 1984 under the Warner Bros. Records label, but the rights to the album have since been sold to Liberty Records. The album m ...

'' produced a number-one country hit and three more top-10 country hits, but none had crossover success. The illness and subsequent death of his son put his career on hold following the 1985 RCA Records release ''

Rabbitt Trax ''Rabbitt Trax'' is the tenth studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt, released in 1986 by RCA Records. The album produced four singles including "A World Without Love", "Repetitive Regret", "Both to Each Other (Friends and ...

'', which included the number one " Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)", a duet with country pop star Juice Newton. Like "You and I", the song was used as the theme for a soap opera, ''

''. Rabbitt returned from his hiatus in 1988 with the release of ''

I Wanna Dance With You ''I Wanna Dance with You'' is the eleventh studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt, released by RCA Records in 1988. The album produced four singles including the title track, a cover of Dion DiMucci's 1961 hit " The Wander ...

'', which despite somewhat negative reviews produced two number-one songs, a cover of Dion's " The Wanderer" and the album's title track. Additionally, "

We Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right "We Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in October 1988 as the third single from the album ''I Wanna Dance with You''. The song reached number 7 on the ...

" entered the top 10, although the album's final single "

That's Why I Fell in Love with You "That's Why I Fell in Love with You" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in April 1989 as the fourth and final single from his eleventh studio album ''I Wanna Dance with You''. The so ...

" stalled at number 66. Rabbitt's

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

album ''

Jersey Boy ''Jersey Boy'' is the twelfth studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in 1990 by Capitol Records. The album produced five singles including " On Second Thought", the final number one country hit of Rabbitt's c ...

'' was reviewed positively, as was its single " On Second Thought", Rabbitt's last number-one hit. The album also included " American Boy", a patriotic tune popular during the Gulf War and used in

Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his te ...

's 1996 presidential campaign. Rabbitt was among the many country singers who suffered a dramatic decline in chart success beginning in 1991. That year, he released '' Ten Rounds'', which produced the final charting single of his career, " Hang Up the Phone". Following that release, he left Capitol Records to tour with his band Hare Trigger. In 1997, Rabbitt signed with

Intersound Records Intersound Records was an American independent record label that operated in the 1980s and 1990s. The company was founded by industry veteran Don Johnson in 1982, who purchased some assets of Pickwick Records from its parent company and named h ...

, but was soon diagnosed with lung cancer. After a round of chemotherapy, he released the album ''

Beatin' the Odds Beatin' the Odds may refer to: * ''Beatin' the Odds'' (Molly Hatchet album), 1980 * ''Beatin' the Odds'' (Eddie Rabbitt album), 1997 {{disambiguation ...

''. In 1998, he released his last studio album, ''

Songs from Rabbittland ''Songs from Rabbittland'' is the fifteenth and final studio album by country artist Eddie Rabbitt. The album was released on April 10, 1998, and contained 17 children's songs, jokes, and stories told by Rabbitt that he wrote for his kids. There ...

''.

Musical styles

Rabbitt used innovative techniques to tie country music themes with light rhythm and blues-influenced tempos. His songs often used echo, as Rabbitt routinely sang his own background vocals. In a process called the "Eddie Rabbitt Chorale", Rabbitt compensated for what ''Billboard Magazine'' described as a "somewhat thin and reedy voice" by recording songs in three-part harmonies. His music was compared to rockabilly, particularly the album ''Horizon'', which was noted as having an Elvis-like sound. Rabbitt remarked that he liked "a lot of the old Memphis sounds that came out of Sun Records" during the 1950s, and that he "wanted to catch the magic of a live band." He credited such wide-ranging artists as Bob Dylan,

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

, Elvis Presley, and Willie Nelson with influencing his works. When putting together an album, Rabbitt tried to make sure he put in "ten potential singles...no fillers, no junk." He remembered listening to albums as a child and hearing "two hits and a bunch of garbage."Gardner, Tom "Eddie Rabbitt: Brooklyn boy makes his voice heard in Nashville," '' Wilmington Morning Star'', August 1, 1979 Rabbitt believed that country music was "Irish music" and that "the minor chords in ismusic gave it that mystical feel."Allis, Tim and Bell, Bonni
Still Grieving After the Death of His Young Son, Eddie Rabbitt Finds Solace in Country Music
People Magazine, April 17, 1989 Although he did not strive to produce pop music, his songs helped influence the direction of country music, leading to the Urban Cowboy era during the 1980s. Critic Harry Sumrall of the '' San Jose Mercury News'' said that Rabbitt was "like a hot corn dog: nothing fancy, nothing frilly. You know what you're getting and you like it...never a country purist, Rabbitt nonetheless makes music that is plain and simple, with all of the virtues that make good country good.

is songs In linguistics, a copula (plural: copulas or copulae; abbreviated ) is a word or phrase that links the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, such as the word ''is'' in the sentence "The sky is blue" or the phrase ''was not being'' in ...

might be brisk, but they are also warm and familiar, like the breeze that wafts in over the fried artichokes." During the early 1990s, Rabbitt voiced criticism of hip hop music, particularly rap, which he said was sending a negative message to youth. He stated that the music was "inciting a generation" and that it had helped to contribute to the high rates of teenaged pregnancy, high-school dropouts, and rapes during this period.

Personal life

When Rabbitt arrived in Nashville during the late 1960s, a friend gave him a pet chicken. Rabbitt said he had "an affinity for animals", and he kept the bird for a while before giving it to a farmer. During his Nashville days in the early 1970s, Rabbitt had a pet monkey, Jojo. Before his ''Rocky Mountain Music'' tour, the monkey bit Rabbitt, leaving his right arm in bandages. In 1976, Rabbitt married Janine Girardi,Johnson, Ann
Rabbitt, Eddie
Contemporary Musicians, 1991 whom he called "a little thing about five feet tall, with long, black beautiful hair, and a real pretty face." He had previously written the songs "Pure Love" and "Sweet Janine" for her. They had three children, Demelza, Timmy, and Tommy. Timmy was diagnosed with

biliary atresia Biliary atresia, also known as extrahepatic ductopenia and progressive obliterative cholangiopathy, is a childhood disease of the liver in which one or more bile ducts are abnormally narrow, blocked, or absent. It can be congenital or acquired. I ...

upon birth. The condition required a liver transplant for survival and he underwent one in 1985, but the attempt failed and he died. Rabbitt temporarily put his career on hiatus, saying, "I didn't want to be out of the music business, but where I was more important." Tommy was born in 1986. Rabbitt felt his responsibility as an entertainer was to be a good role model and he was an advocate for many charitable organizations, including the Special Olympics, Easter Seals, and the American Council on Transplantation, of which he served as honorary chairman. He also worked as a spokesman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and United Cerebral Palsy. Rabbitt was a registered Republican and let Bob Dole use his song "American Boy" during Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. Rabbitt was also a fan of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and visited the set during the show's fifth season in 1991–92.

Death

Rabbitt died on May 7, 1998, in Nashville from lung cancer at the age of 56. He had been diagnosed with the disease in March 1997 and had received radiation treatment and surgery to remove part of one lung. His body was interred at Calvary Cemetery in Nashville on May 8, 1998. No media outlets reported the death until after the burial at the family's request. The news came as a surprise to many in Nashville, including the performer's agent, who "had no idea Eddie was terminal" and had talked to him often, remarking that Rabbitt "was always upbeat and cheerful" in the final months of his life. Although he was widely believed to have been born in 1944 (this year can still be found in older publications and texts), at the time of his death, he was revealed to have been born in 1941.Names ... in the news - The Union Democrat, 11 May 1998
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Awards

Discography

References

External links

Eddie Rabbitt at CMT.com
*

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rabbitt, Eddie 1941 births 1998 deaths American country singer-songwriters American people of Irish descent American male singer-songwriters Country pop musicians Deaths from cancer in Tennessee Deaths from lung cancer Elektra Records artists Musicians from Brooklyn RCA Records Nashville artists 20th-century American singers Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Country musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male singers New York (state) Republicans