Richard Marx's name might have been bandied about more frequently in the late '80s and early '90s when he consistently topped the charts with irresistibly catchy pop-rock hits including "Satisfied," "Should've Known Better," "The Way She Loves Me," "Hold on to the Nights" and the moody story-song "Hazard."
But what many casual followers might not realize is that Marx has been a chart staple for four decades, continuing through the past few years as a songwriter and producer for artists such as Keith Urban, Chris Daughtry, Lifehouse and Ringo Starr.
Marx, a down-to-earth Chicagoan, is happy to chat about everything from his Twitter beef with American Airlines (he's an amusing follow @RichardMarx) to his wife of 23 years, Cynthia Rhodes ("I married way out of my league," he said) to his friendship with Hugh Jackman, who appears on Marx's latest album, the live "A Night Out with Friends."
Calling from his home in a northern suburb of Chicago, Marx, 48, also talked about his upcoming Christmas album and what to expect at Saturday's show at The Fred.
Q: You're performing with a string section here. Do you have to prepare differently?
A: I've done it quite a bit. In the mid-'90s, I did a show with the Atlanta Symphony and my dad [jazz pianist/arranger Dick Marx, who died in 1997] did the charts. When I started doing these acoustic shows two years ago, every once in a while I'd say, let's get a quartet. The ballads are just gorgeous. There's nothing sleepy about the show. It will be me, 20 strings and my keyboardist, Steve Hornbeak. I'll do about 20 songs, and I've started doing an acoustic arrangement of Katy Perry's 'The One That Got Away.'
Q: You've written dozens and dozens of hits for other artists. Do you prefer the behind-the-scenes side of the business?
A: I did, initially, because I was always away from my family and friends [before]. But 10 years into my career as an artist, I made a record that didn't really connect, and I was at a crossroads. I chose to make hits for other people. But I missed the playing and performing. It's the best now.
Q: And now you have a Christmas album coming out later this year.
A: I just recorded a duet with Kenny Loggins, a new arrangement of 'Let There Be Peace on Earth.' Everything I ever wanted to be as a singer was based on [Loggins'] 'Through the Fire' album. The album is called 'Christmas Spirit.' There are a couple of originals, and Dave Grusin is on a song called 'Christmas Mornings.' I've worshipped his film scores all my life.
Concert preview
Richard Marx
8 p.m. Saturday. $40-$90. Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, 201 McIntosh Trail, Peachtree City. 1-877-725-8849, www.ticketalternative.com.
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