EDDIE RABBITT

'Eddie Rabbitt' (born November 27, 1941 - May 7, 1998) was a country music singer. He enjoyed much pop success in his career, helping develop the crossover-influenced sound in country music during the 1970s and 80s. During his career, he scored 26 number-ones.

Contents

Rise to Success

The Height of His Career

Decline & Death

Discography

Singles

Selected Albums

Trivia

External link

References

Rise to Success

Rabbitt was born 'Edward Thomas Rabbitt' in Brooklyn, New York, but he was raised in East Orange, New Jersey. In the 60s, Eddie recorded for 20th Century Records and Columbia Records. In 1968, he moved out to Nashville, where he got his first start as a songwriter. In the beginning, Roy Drusky and George Morgan cut songs he wrote. His biggest success as a songwriter came in 1970, when Elvis Presley recorded his song "Kentucky Rain". The song became one of Presley's biggest hits and marked Rabbit as one of Nashville's leading young songwriters.

The Height of His Career

Rabbitt signed with Elektra Records in 1974. His first single, "You Get To Me" made the Top 40 that year, and two songs in 1975, "Forgive And Forget" and "I Should Have Married You" nearly made the Top 10, but in 1976, Rabbitt got his first #1 Country hit with the song "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)". He achieved more recognition with the songs "You Don't Love Me Anymore" and "Every Which Way But Loose" (the title track from the Clint Eastwood movie of the same name).
However, his biggest hits have to be "I Love a Rainy Night" and "Drivin' My Life Away", both hits for him in 1981. These hits are also probably his best-known and signature tunes. In the 1980s, Rabbitt enjoyed further success in music. In 1982, he teamed up with another Country/Pop crossover star, Crystal Gayle, to record the duet "You and I". The duet eventually became a big crossover smash for both of them that same year.
His other #1s include "The Best Year of My Life," "The Wanderer" (a cover of the classic Dion hit), "I Wanna Dance With You," "On Second Thought," and "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)" (a duet with Juice Newton). However, in the late 1980s, his success was starting to fade. His singles didn't crack the Pop Top 40 during this time.
In 1977, he was named Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music Awards.
In 1981, he also won an American Music Award for Best Pop Male Vocalist in 1981.

Decline & Death

As the 1980s came to an end, Rabbitt moved more and more away from crossover-styled music. His career declined as contemporary artists such as Garth Brooks and Clint Black rose on the country music charts. However he did continue to record and tour. In the 1990s, he recorded very little, in part because of the illness and subsequent death of his young son. After his son died, Rabbitt became active in raising money for organizations that aid sick children.
During his career, Rabbitt scored 26 #1 hits on the country charts and eight Top 40 pop hits. On May 7, 1998, Rabbitt died of lung cancer at the age of 56, and is interred in the Calvary Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.

Discography

Singles

Year	Title	US Hot 100	US Country	US AC	Album
1974	"You Get To Me"		34		''Eddie Rabbitt''
1975	"Forgive and Forget"		12		''Eddie Rabbitt''
1975	"I Should Have Married You"		11		''Eddie Rabbitt''
1976	"Do You Right Tonight"		5		''Rocky Mountain Music''
1976	"Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)"		1		''Rocky Mountain Music''
1976	"Rocky Mountain Music"	76	5		''Rocky Mountain Music''
1977	"Two Dollars in the Jukebox"		3		''Rocky Mountain Music''
1977	"I Can't Help Myself"	71	2		''Rabbitt''
1977	"We Can't Go on Living Like This"		6		''Rabbitt''
1978	"Hearts on Fire"		2		''Variations''
1978	"You Don't Love Me Anymore"	53	1		''Variations''
1978	"I Just Want to Love You"		1		''Variations''
1979	"Every Which Way But Loose"	30	1		''The Best of Eddie Rabbitt''
1979	"Pour Me Another Tequila"		5		''Loveline''
1979	"Suspicions"	13	1		''Loveline''
1980	"Gone Too Far"	82	1		''Loveline''
1980	"Drivin' My Life Away"	5	1	3	''Horizon''
1981	"I Love a Rainy Night"	1	1	1	''Horizon''
1981	"Step By Step"	5	1	3	''Step By Step''
1981	"Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight"	15	1	10	''Step By Step''
1982	"I Don't Know Where to Start"	35	2		''Step By Step''
1982	"You and I" (with Crystal Gayle)	7	1	2	''Radio Romance''
1983	"You Can't Run From Love"	55	1	2	''Radio Romance''
1983	"You Put the Beat in My Heart"	81	10	15	''Greatest Hits Vol. 2''
1984	"Nothing Like Falling in Love"		10		''Greatest Hits Vol. 2''
1984	"B-B-B Burnin' Up With Love"		3		''The Best Year of My Life''
1985	"The Best Year of My Life"		1		''The Best Year of My Life''
1985	"Warning Sign"		4		''The Best Year of My Life''
1985	"She's Comin' Back to Say Goodbye"		6		''The Best Year of My Life''
1985	"A World Without Love"		10		''Rabbitt Trax''
1986	"Repetitive Regret"		4		''Rabbitt Trax''
1986	"Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)" (with Juice Newton)		1		''Rabbitt Trax''
1987	"Gotta Have You"		9		''Rabbitt Trax''
1988	"I Wanna Dance With You"		1		''I Wanna Dance With You''
1988	"The Wanderer"		1		''I Wanna Dance With You''
1988	"We Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right"		7		''I Wanna Dance With You''
1990	"On Second Thought"		1		''Jersey Boy''
1990	"Runnin' With the Wind"		8		''Jersey Boy''
1990	"It's Lonely Out Tonite"		32		''Jersey Boy''
1990	"American Boy"		11		''Jersey Boy''
1991	"Tennessee Born and Bred"		58		''Jersey Boy''
1991	"Hang Up the Phone"		50		''Ten Rounds''

Selected Albums

'Year'	'Album'
1975	''Eddie Rabbitt''
1976	''Rocky Mountain Music''
1977	''Rabbitt''
1978	''Variations''
1979	''Loveline''
1979	''The Best''
1980	''Horizon''
1981	''Step by Step''
1982	''Radio Romance''
1983	''Greatest Hits''
1984	''The Best Years of My Life''
1985	''Number-Ones''
1985	''Rabbitt Trax''
1987	''I Wanna Dance With You''
1989	''Greatest Hits''
1989	''Country Store Collection''
1990	''Jersey Boy''
1991	''10 Years of Greatest Hits''
1991	''Ten Rounds''
1991	''All Time Greatest Hits''
1997	''Beatin' the Odds''
2003	''All American Country''
2003	''Essentials''

Trivia

★ ''I Love A Rainy Night'' appeared on the , playing on fictional country music station K-ROSE.

External link

★ Eddie Rabbitt at CMT.com

References

★ Goldsmith, Tommy. (1998). "Eddie Rabbitt". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kinsgbury, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 427-8.

★ LP at Discography.com

★ Wolff, Kurt. ''Country Music: The Rough Guide''.