Rex Smith
| Rex Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 19, 1955 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Soft rock, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | Columbia |
| Associated acts | REX |
| Website |
www |
Rex Smith (born September 19, 1955, Jacksonville, Florida) is an American actor and singer.[1] Smith made his acting debut in the Broadway play Grease in 1978. He is noted for his role as Jesse Mach in the 1985 television series Street Hawk, as well as being a singer and stage actor. During the late 1970s, Smith was popular as a teen idol. Because of his good looks, he was featured regularly in 16 Magazine and Tiger Beat. He also had a gold Top 10 single, "You Take My Breath Away" in 1979.
Career
Music
In the early 1970s, Smith was the lead singer for a band from Athens, Georgia named Phaedra. Smith next sang vocals in a pop rock band called Rex.
In 1979, he had a hit single from the television movie Sooner or Later, entitled "You Take My Breath Away", which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] It is on the platinum-selling album Sooner or Later, which is also named for the movie. The music for this song was written by Stephen J. Lawrence and the lyrics were written by Bruce Hart. For many years, it was a staple on the play lists of FM radio stations with a soft rock or "lite" format.
In 1981, Smith hit the top 40 again with a remake of "Everlasting Love", in a duet with singer Rachel Sweet. Peaking at No. 32, the song is Smith's last charting hit to date. The song also became Smith's only hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 35.[3]
Smith performed live at the 1982 Miss Universe pageant main event night, held in Lima, Perú.
His latest album was released in 2000 and entitled Simply...Rex. It was re-released in 2006 and re-titled You Take My Breath Away.
Television
Smith is best known for his role as motorcycle police officer Jesse Mach in the short-running 1985 television series Street Hawk, but he has also made guest appearances on a variety of television shows, such as The Love Boat, Baywatch, Caroline in the City and JAG. Smith has been a celebrity spokesperson for a number of corporate entities.[4]
Also in 1982, Smith replaced Andy Gibb as a host on the music variety show, Solid Gold.
In 1989, Smith played Daredevil a.k.a. Matt Murdock in the television movie, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. This was as a backdoor pilot for an ongoing Daredevil television series.
From 1990 through 1992, Smith was a contract player on the CBS daytime drama, As the World Turns, in the role of Darryl Crawford.
Stage
In 1978, he made his Broadway debut in the musical Grease in the lead role of Danny Zuko.
Smith also starred as Frederic in the New York Shakespeare Festival's Central Park production of The Pirates of Penzance. In 1981, Smith won the Theatre World Award for his role in Pirates. Smith reprised the role of Frederic in the 1983 film adaptation, along with fellow Broadway cast members Kevin Kline as the Pirate King and Linda Ronstadt as Mabel.
Smith has appeared in other Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grand Hotel, The Human Comedy, and Annie Get Your Gun. He played Joe Gillis opposite Diahann Carroll as Norma Desmond in the 1995 Canadian production of Sunset Boulevard.
Smith also starred as Fred Graham/Petruchio in the 2001–02 national tour of Kiss Me, Kate.
In 2005, Smith again starred in The Pirates of Penzance, this time playing the role of the Pirate King.[5]
More recently, Smith appeared as the Captain in The Sound of Music at the Ogunquit Playhouse, in 2010.
Personal life
Smith has been married four times:
- His first marriage was to a Playboy bunny named Lois in the late 1970s
- Jamie Buell, married on February 28, 1987 and divorced in 1995. The couple had two daughters, Meagan Elizabeth (born 1987) and Madison Marie (born 1990).[6]
- Courtney Schrage, married in 1998 and divorced a few years later. She later became her husband's manager. The couple have a son, Gatsby Richard (born 1999), and a daughter, Savannah.[6]
- Dr. Tracy Lin, a doctor in Orange County, CA, whom he married on September 28, 2009
Smith also has a son by Karen Lakey, a record-company representative with whom he had a weekend affair. The son, Brandon, was born in 1980. Father and son met for the first time in 1997, during Smith's appearance in the musical "Sunset Boulevard" when he was signing autographs.[6]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Rex | Columbia |
| 1977 | Where Do We Go from Here | Columbia |
| 1979 | Sooner or Later | Columbia |
| 1980 | Forever, Rex Smith | Columbia |
| 1981 | The Pirates of Penzance (Broadway Cast Album) | Elektra |
| 1981 | Everlasting Love | Columbia |
| 1983 | Camouflage | Columbia |
| 1995 | Sunset Boulevard (Original Canadian Cast Recording) | Polydor |
| 1997 | The Human Comedy (Original Broadway Cast Recording) | Kilmarnock Records |
| 1999 | The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore! (1998 Broadway Revival Cast) | Atlantic |
| 2000 | Simply…Rex (re-titled You Take My Breath Away, 2006) | MCA/Universal |
Singles
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "You Take My Breath Away" | U.S. Billboard #10, Cash Box #7 |
| 1979 | "Simply Jessie" | |
| 1979 | "Never Gonna Give You Up" | |
| 1980 | "Forever" | |
| 1980 | "Let's Make a Memory" | |
| 1981 | "Everlasting Love" (with Rachel Sweet) | U.S. #32, UK #35 |
| 1981 | "Love Will Always Make You Cry" |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Sooner or Later | Michael Skye | TV movie |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Mark Redding | "Vicki's First Love" |
| 1980 | Headin' for Broadway | Fast Eddie | |
| 1980 | Saturday Night Live | Frederic / Musical guest | The cast of The Pirates of Penzance |
| 1983 | The Pirates of Penzance | Frederic | Also on Broadway |
| 1984 | Street Hawk | Jesse Mach | Lead role (13 episodes) |
| 1985 | Faerie Tale Theatre | The Prince | "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" |
| 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | Stew Bennett | "If a Body Meet a Body" |
| 1987 | Houston Knights | Jake Bodine | "Desperado" |
| 1987 | Shades of Love: The Ballerina and the Blues | Rick Peterson | TV movie |
| 1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Jerry Wickes | "Old Flames" |
| 1989 | The Trial of the Incredible Hulk | Matt Murdock/Daredevil | TV movie |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer | Andy Sacks | TV movie |
| 1991–93 | As the World Turns | Darryl Crawford | Daytime serial |
| 1993 | Silk Stalkings | Bob Johnson | "Night Games" |
| 1994 | Once in a Lifetime | Jeffrey Fields | TV movie |
| 1994 | A Passion to Kill | Ted | |
| 1997 | JAG | Sgt. Max Frankl | "The Court-Martial of Sandra Gilbert" |
| 1997 | Caroline in the City | Dr. David Engel | "Caroline and the Free Cable" |
| 1998 | Richie Rich's Christmas Wish | Rudy | Direct-to-video |
| 1998 | Baywatch | Gavin | "Friends Forever" |
| 1999 | Malibu, CA | Jesse Mercer | "Jason's Song" |
| 2000 | The Norm Show | Pirate #1 | "Norm vs. Jenny" |
| 2002 | Just Cause | Keith Temple | "Fading Star" |
| 2006 | Pope Dreams | Don |
References
- ↑ "Biography:". Starpulse. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
- ↑ "Rex Smith's claim to fame". Thirteen Ventures Ltd. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 509. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "Interview with Rex Smith". TalkinBroadway.com. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
- ↑ "The Pirates of Penzance Starring Rex Smith". City of Bellflower. City of Bellflower. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Face to Face". Time Inc. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
External links
- Official website
- Rex Smith at the Internet Movie Database
- Rex Smith at the Internet Broadway Database
- Rex Smith at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Rex Smith Interview
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