Richard Marx

Richard Marx has been a billboard-topping, Grammy-winning hit-maker since the 1980s, as both a talented pop-rock writer/ musician in his own right, and with his songwriting- creating songs for huge acts such as Keith Urban’s Long Hot Summer, the N*Sync hit This I Promise You (remember them? That song was huge!) and Luther Vandross’ last hit record, Dance With My Father.
When I saw Marx at the elaborately ornate Shepherd’s Bush Empire venue in London in 2010, he played these songs, in his own impeccably classic style, and Dance With My Father was performed as a poignant tribute to a “dear absent friend”. The setting and atmosphere (picture lavish red velvet curtains and seats, Rococo-style statues adorning the walls, and gigantic chandeliers) really made the song feel all the more genuine and beautiful. The inclusion of a string orchestra in his live set further added to the epic sincerity of the experience of seeing Richard Marx live. His playful, witty audience shout-outs during the heart-wrenching ballad Angelia- “Come on, you all know the words to this one”; “This is where a guitar solo would go” (just before the song’s bridge)- injected humour and a closeness into the show, and added to the layered emotionality Marx is able to tap into and bring out of his audience.
With his timeless, classic approach to song composition and balladic numbers such as the (still-evocative) love songs Right Here Waiting and Beautiful Goodbye, Marx could, on paper, be plonked into the not-exaclty-favourable category of ‘dad-rock’ today. However, the sheer emotional force of his catchy, soaring hooks played out by a full string band, paired with his genuine superstar stage presence and husky yet sweetly sincere vocals, make seeing Marx live a truly incredible and emotive experience, that would stir the heartstrings of even the most stubbornly stoic hardballs in the audience. His songs (and vocal chords) have both definitely stood the test of time. You’ve gotta hand it to the man, he’s most certainly still got it- and trust me, it’s even better live.