Eddie RabbittEddie Rabbitt (November 27, 1941-May 7, 1998) was a country music singer and songwriter who reached the peak of his popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was born in Brooklyn New York, and raised in New Jersey. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1968, hoping to earn a living as a songwriter and performer. He came to the attention of recording companies when he penned Elvis Presley's hit song "Kentucky Rain". In 1975, he signed on with Elektra Records, who had recently created a country music division. His early pieces were strongly C&W, such as "Two Dollars in the Jukebox." Later, his music began to be influenced by R&B and pop. He scored some of his biggest hits with tunes such as "I Love a Rainy Night" (1980), "You Don't Love Me Anymore (1978), and "Step by Step" (1980). He was also well-known for writing and recording the theme song for the Clint Eastwood movie "Every Which Way But Loose." During the late 80's, Rabbitt was one of many pop-influenced country stars who lost ground on the charts to more traditional-sounding artists. He recorded very little during the 1990s, in part because of the illness and subsequent death of his young son. After his son died, Rabbit became active in raising money for organizations that aid sick children. Rabbitt himself died of lung cancer on May 7, 1998 at the age of only 56. During his career, Rabbitt scored 26 #1 hits on the country charts, and had 8 Top-40 songs. He was named the Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1977, and he won an American Music Award for Best Pop Male Vocalist in 1981. This page about Eddie Rabbitt includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Eddie Rabbitt News stories about Eddie Rabbitt External links for Eddie Rabbitt Videos for Eddie Rabbitt Wikis about Eddie Rabbitt Discussion Groups about Eddie Rabbitt Blogs about Eddie Rabbitt Images of Eddie Rabbitt |
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He was named the Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1977, and he won an American Music Award for Best Pop Male Vocalist in 1981. There appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel in mid-2004 for increasingly impatient Wu-Tang fans awaiting this release when RZA authorized the limited release of the mixtape Formula For The Cure which was intended to build anticipation for the finished article. During his career, Rabbitt scored 26 #1 hits on the country charts, and had 8 Top-40 songs. RZA has been promising for many years to release The Cure, said to be an epic concept album containing collaborations with high-profile artists such as Stevie Wonder, to be mostly in the wordy, Five Percent Nation-influenced style of Wu-Tang tracks such as Sunshower. Rabbitt himself died of lung cancer on May 7, 1998 at the age of only 56. RZA also appeared alongside fellow Wu-Tang member GZA in one segment of Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes opposite Bill Murray. After his son died, Rabbit became active in raising money for organizations that aid sick children. He also created and produced the original music for the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill. He recorded very little during the 1990s, in part because of the illness and subsequent death of his young son. More recently he has moved into composing film scores, earning praise for his hip-hop score to Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai, and appearing for a brief cameo in the film itself. During the late 80's, Rabbitt was one of many pop-influenced country stars who lost ground on the charts to more traditional-sounding artists. In 2003 he also released an album of collaborations with international rap and R&B musicians (including France's Saļan Supa Crew and Germany's Xavier Naidoo) entitled The World According to RZA, which was successful in many countries, despite not being sold in the USA. He was also well-known for writing and recording the theme song for the Clint Eastwood movie "Every Which Way But Loose.". Both Digital Bullet and Birth Of A Prince received mixed reviews from the press and fans. He scored some of his biggest hits with tunes such as "I Love a Rainy Night" (1980), "You Don't Love Me Anymore (1978), and "Step by Step" (1980). Birth Of A Prince spawned the hit single We Pop, and featured a mix of lighthearted Bobby Digital tracks and more lyrically high-browed RZA tracks. His early pieces were strongly C&W, such as "Two Dollars in the Jukebox." Later, his music began to be influenced by R&B and pop. After another Wu-Tang group album, RZA released another Bobby Digital album, 2001's Digital Bullet, and in 2003 released Birth of a Prince, his first album released as The RZA. In 1975, he signed on with Elektra Records, who had recently created a country music division. In 1998, after the second Wu-Tang Clan album Wu-Tang Forever, RZA released his first solo effort titled RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo, an experimental concept album featuring him rapping as his alter-ego Bobby Digital, which received mixed reviews. He came to the attention of recording companies when he penned Elvis Presley's hit song "Kentucky Rain". He also took part in the Gravediggaz, an off-and-on rap supergroup including Frukwan of Stetsasonic and Prince Paul. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1968, hoping to earn a living as a songwriter and performer. While continuing with the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA produced many of their solo albums, for Ghostface Killah, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Method Man. He was born in Brooklyn New York, and raised in New Jersey. The album was incredibly successful, revolutionizing hip hop; one of the major reasons was RZA's sparse, lean production that made the sound distinctive. Eddie Rabbitt (November 27, 1941-May 7, 1998) was a country music singer and songwriter who reached the peak of his popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Once this acclaimed local band dissolved, then-Prince Rakeem started going by RZA (pronounced "the rizza") and joined the Wu-Tang Clan for their debut, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers. He got his start in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a member of the All in Together Now Crew along with future Wu-Tang members GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard. He is also known as Prince Rakeem, Bobby Steels, the Abbott, the Rzarector, Ruler Zig-Zag-Zig-Allah and Bobby Digital, but best known as the RZA. |