Eddie Rabbitt
Eddie Rabbitt (born November 27, 1941 as Edward Thomas Rabbitt in Brooklyn , New York , NY , USA ; † May 7, 1998 in Nashville , Tennessee ) was an American country singer and songwriter, who in the 1980s several number -1 hits.
Beginnings
Eddie Rabbitt grew up in New Jersey . As a teenager he began to play the guitar and composed his first songs. He made his living doing odd jobs and performing in clubs in the area. In 1968 he moved to Nashville, where he initially worked as a songwriter. After Roy Drusky recorded one of his titles, he got a job at a music publisher.
The breakthrough as a songwriter came in 1970 when Elvis Presley reached number one with Kentucky Rain and Ronnie Milsap with Pure Love . Kentucky Rain was even gilded.
Career
In the same year Rabbitt signed a record deal with the Elektra label. His first single made it into the charts . In 1975 Forgive and Forget and I Should Have Married You were in the top 10, and a year later he had his first number one hit with Drinkin 'My Baby (Off My Mind) . The Academy of Country Music honored him as the best young male singer . More top 10 placements followed, until he had a series of three consecutive number one hits in 1978, including Every Which Way But Loose , the theme song for the Clint Eastwood feature film The Man from San Fernando . Many of his pieces were also listed in the pop hit parade. Because of his closeness to pop music, however, he did not always find recognition in the country scene.
His streak of success continued into the 1980s. Particularly in the first half of the decade, high sales figures were achieved. Rocky Mountain Music , I Love a Rainy Night and Drivin 'My Life Away reached high pop charts . His compositions were also still in demand. He has received awards as a country, pop and crossover musician. In 1982, his duet with Crystal Gayle reached number one on the country charts. In the same year he switched to Warner's label and three years later to RCA Records . He continued to score top hits, such as the 1986 duet Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers) with Juice Newton . In the late 1980s he turned to more traditional country music. The days of country pop were over. He had his last number one hit in 1990 with On Second Thought . He then appeared a few times in the middle of the charts and then concentrated on tours and concert appearances.
In 1997, Eddie Rabbitt developed lung cancer. He died on May 7, 1998. In the same year he was posthumously inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame .
Cover versions
In 1977 Jürgen Drews recorded a German version of Rocky Mountain Music under the title Barfuß durch den Sommer and thus reached number six in the German single charts .
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1975 | Eddie Rabbitt | - |
Country41 (9 weeks) Country |
|
| 1976 | Rocky Mountain Music | - |
Country14 (20 weeks) Country |
|
| 1977 | Rabbitt | - |
Country4 (25 weeks) Country |
|
| 1978 | Variations |
US143 (7 weeks) US |
Country9 (62 weeks) Country |
|
| 1979 | Loveline |
US91 (20 weeks) US |
Country5 (75 weeks) Country |
|
| 1980 | Horizon |
US19th  (54 weeks)US |
Country1 (100 weeks) Country |
|
| 1981 | Step by step |
US23  (34 weeks)US |
Country1 (58 weeks) Country |
|
| 1982 | Radio Romance |
US31 (25 weeks) US |
Country5 (47 weeks) Country |
|
| 1984 | The Best Years Of My Life | - |
Country22 (31 weeks) Country |
|
| 1986 | Rabbitt Trax | - |
Country6 (41 weeks) Country |
|
| 1988 | I wanna dance with you | - |
Country34 (37 weeks) Country |
|
| 1990 | Jersey boy | - |
Country34 (14 weeks) Country |
|
More studio albums
- 1991: Ten Rounds
- 1997: Beatin 'the Odds
- 1998: Songs from Rabbittland
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1979 | The Best of Eddie Rabbitt |
US151 (12 weeks)US |
Country12 (151 weeks) Country |
|
| 1983 | Greatest Hits Volume II |
US131 (11 weeks) US |
Country4 (48 weeks) Country |
|
| 1985 | Number ones | - |
Country34 (13 weeks) Country |
|
| 2009 | Number one hits | - |
Country71 (1 week) Country |
|
More compilations
- 1989: The Great Hits of Eddie Rabbitt
- 1991: Ten Years of Greatest Hits
- 2003: Essentials
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1974 | You Get to Me Eddie Rabbitt |
- | - |
Country34 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| 1975 | Forgive and Forget Eddie Rabbitt |
- | - |
Country12 (17 weeks) Country |
|
| I Should Have Married You Eddie Rabbitt |
- | - |
Country11 (14 weeks) Country |
||
| 1976 | Drinkin 'My Baby (Off My Mind) Rocky Mountain Music |
- | - |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| Rocky Mountain Music Rocky Mountain Music |
- |
US76 (8 weeks) US |
Country5 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| 1977 | Two Dollars in the Jukebox Rocky Mountain Music |
- | - |
Country3 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| I Can't Help Myself Rabbitt |
- |
US77 (9 weeks) US |
Country2 (16 weeks) Country |
||
| We Can't Go On Living Like This Rabbitt |
- | - |
Country6 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| 1978 | Hearts on Fire Variations |
- | - |
Country2 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| You Don't Love Me Anymore Variations |
- |
US53 (7 weeks) US |
Country1 (14 weeks) Country |
||
| I Just Want to Love You Variations |
- | - |
Country1 (14 weeks) Country |
||
| 1979 | Every Which Way but Loose Every Which Way but Loose OST |
UK41 (3 weeks) UK |
US30 (11 weeks) US |
Country1 (15 weeks) Country |
|
| Suspicions Loveline |
- |
US13 (17 weeks) US |
Country1 (14 weeks) Country |
||
| Pour Me Another Tequila Loveline |
- | - |
Country5 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| 1980 | Gone Too Far Loveline |
- |
US82 (4 weeks) US |
Country1 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| Drivin 'My Life Away Horizon |
- |
US5 (25 weeks)US |
Country1 (15 weeks) Country |
||
|
I Love a Rainy Night Horizon |
UK53 (5 weeks) UK |
US1 (28 weeks)US |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
||
| 1981 | Step by step step by step |
- |
US5 (22 weeks) US |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight Step by Step |
- |
US15 (15 weeks) US |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
||
| 1982 | I don't know where to start step by step |
- |
US35 (13 weeks) US |
Country2 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| You and I Radio Romance |
UK81 (2 weeks) UK |
US7 (29 weeks) US |
Country1 (19 weeks) Country |
with Crystal Gayle
|
|
| 1983 | You Can't Run from Love Radio Romance |
- |
US55 (8 weeks) US |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
|
| You Put the Beat in My Heart Greatest Hits Vol. II |
- |
US81 (5 weeks) US |
Country10 (18 weeks) Country |
||
| 1984 | Nothing Like Falling in Love Greatest Hits Vol. II |
- | - |
Country10 (15 weeks) Country |
|
| BBB-Burnin 'Up with Love The Best Year of My Life |
- | - |
Country3 (18 weeks) Country |
||
| 1985 | The Best Year of My Life The Best Year of My Life |
- | - |
Country1 (23 weeks) Country |
|
| Warning Sign The Best Year of My Life |
- | - |
Country4 (19 weeks) Country |
||
| She's Comin 'Back to Say Goodbye The Best Year of My Life |
- | - |
Country6 (21 weeks) Country |
||
| A World Without Love Rabbitt Trax |
- | - |
Country10 (18 weeks) Country |
||
| 1986 | Repetitive Regret Rabbitt Trax |
- | - |
Country4 (19 weeks) Country |
|
| Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers) Rabbitt Trax |
- | - |
Country1 (20 weeks) Country |
feat. Juice Newton
|
|
| Gotta Have You Rabbitt Trax |
- | - |
Country9 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| 1988 | I Wanna Dance with You I Wanna Dance with You |
- | - |
Country1 (20 weeks) Country |
|
| The Wanderer I Wanna Dance with You |
- | - |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
||
| We Must Be Doin 'Somethin' Right I Wanna Dance with You |
- | - |
Country7 (22 weeks) Country |
||
| 1989 | That's Why I Fell in Love with You I Wanna Dance with You |
- | - |
Country66 (10 weeks) Country |
|
| On Second Thought Jersey Boy |
- | - |
Country1 (26 weeks) Country |
||
| 1990 | Runnin 'with the Wind Jersey Boy |
- | - |
Country8 (21 weeks) Country |
|
| It's Lonely Out Tonite Jersey Boy |
- | - |
Country32 (9 weeks) Country |
||
| American Boy Jersey Boy |
- | - |
Country11 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| 1991 | Tennessee Born and Bred Jersey Boy |
- | - |
Country58 (9 weeks) Country |
|
| Hang Up the Phone Ten Rounds |
- | - |
Country50 (14 weeks) Country |
||
More singles
- 1964: Six Nights and Seven Days
- 1968: The Bed
- 1992: You Look Like an Angel
- 1995: I Made a Promise (with Crystal Gayle)
- 1998: Love May Never Pass This Way Again
swell
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rabbitt, Eddie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rabbitt, Edward Thomas (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 27, 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brooklyn , New York , NY , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 7, 1998 |
| Place of death | Nashville , Tennessee |