Edward Thomas Rabbitt (November 27, 1941 – May 7, 1998) was an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer and songwriter. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "

Kentucky Rain "Kentucky Rain" is a 1970 song written by Eddie Rabbitt and Dick Heard and recorded by Elvis Presley. It was recorded at American Sound Studio and features then session pianist Ronnie Milsap. Other musicians on the record include Bobby Wood on ...

" for

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in 1970 and " Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974. Later in the 1970s, Rabbitt helped to develop the

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

-influenced sound of country music prevalent in the 1980s with such hits as " Suspicions", "

I Love a Rainy Night "I Love a Rainy Night" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in November 1980 as the second single from his album '' Horizon''. It reached number one on the Hot Country Singles, ''Billb ...

" (a number-one hit single on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

), and "

Every Which Way but Loose ''Every Which Way but Loose'' is a 1978 American action comedy film released by Warner Bros., produced by Robert Daley and directed by James Fargo. It stars Clint Eastwood in an uncharacteristic and offbeat comedy role as Philo Beddoe, a tr ...

" (the theme from the film of the same title). His duets " Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)" with

Juice Newton Judith Kay "Juice" Newton (born February 18, 1952) is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categorieswinning once in 1983as well ...

and " You and I" with Crystal Gayle later appeared on the soap operas ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'' and ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 20 ...

''.

Early life

Rabbitt was born to

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

Thomas Michael and Mae (née Joyce) Rabbitt in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, New York, in 1941, and was raised in the nearby community of

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was List of municipalities in ...

." Eddie Rabbitt, 56, Whose Songs Zigzagged From Pop to Country"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', May 9, 1998. Retrieved November 3, 2007. His father was an oil-refinery refrigeration worker, and a skilled fiddle and accordion player, who often entertained in local

dance halls. By age 12, Rabbitt was a proficient

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

player, having been taught by his scoutmaster, Bob Scwickrath. During his childhood, Rabbitt became a self-proclaimed "walking encyclopedia of country music". After his parents divorced, he dropped out of school at age 16. His mother, Mae, explained that Eddie "was never one for school ecausehis head was too full of music." He later obtained a high school diploma at night school.Flippo, Chet. "Country Vet Rabbitt Dies," ''

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

'', May 23, 1998

Career

Early career

Rabbitt worked as a mental hospital attendant in the late 1950s; but, like his father, he fulfilled his love of music by performing at the Six Steps Down club in his hometown. He later won a talent contest and was given an hour of Saturday night radio show time to broadcast a live performance from a bar in

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Landon, Grelun and Irwin and Lyndon Stambler. ''Country Music Encyclopedia''. MacMillan, 2000 In 1964, he signed his first record deal with 20th Century Records and released the singles "Next to the Note" and "Six Nights and Seven Days". Four years later, with $1,000 to his name, Rabbitt moved to

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

, where he began his career as a songwriter. During his first night in the town, Rabbitt wrote "Working My Way Up to the Bottom", which

Roy Drusky Roy Frank Drusky, Jr. (June 22, 1930 – September 23, 2004) was an American country music singer, songwriter, producer, actor and disc jockey popular from the 1960s through the early 1970s. Known for his baritone voice, he was known for incor ...

recorded in 1968."Eddie Rabbitt Made Breaks on His Own," ''

The Spokesman-Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in ...

'', February 5, 1977 To support himself, Rabbitt worked as a

truck driver A truck driver (commonly referred to as a trucker, teamster, or driver in the United States and Canada; a truckie in Australia and New Zealand; a HGV driver in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the European Union, a lorry driver, or driver in ...

soda jerk Soda jerk (or soda jerker) is an American term used to refer to a person — typically a young man — who would operate the soda fountain in a drugstore, preparing and serving soda drinks and ice cream sodas. The drinks were made by mixing fl ...

, and fruit picker in Nashville. He was ultimately hired as a staff writer for the

Hill & Range Hill & Range (originally "Hill and Range Songs, Inc.") is a music publishing company which was particularly responsible for much of the country music produced in the 1950s and 1960s, and had control over the material recorded by Elvis Presley over ...

Publishing Company for $37.50 per week. As a young songwriter, Rabbitt socialized with other aspiring writers at Wally's Clubhouse, a Nashville bar; he said he and the other patrons had "no place else to go." Rabbitt became successful as a songwriter in 1969, when

recorded his song "

". The song went gold, and cast Rabbitt as one of Nashville's leading young songwriters. Presley also recorded Rabbitt's song " Patch It Up", which was featured in the concert film "Elvis: That's the Way It Is", and a lesser-known Presley song called "Inherit the Wind" on the album ''Back in Memphis''. While eating

Cap'n Crunch Cap'n Crunch is a corn and oat breakfast cereal manufactured by Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo since 2001. After introducing the original cereal in 1963, marketed simply as ''Cap'n Crunch'', Quaker Oats has since introduced numer ...

,Legro, Ron. "Two Country Charmers," ''

Milwaukee Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently ...

'', August 12, 1977 he penned " Pure Love", which Ronnie Milsap rode to number one in 1974. This song led to a contract offer from

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

. Rabbitt signed with Elektra Records in 1975. His first single under that label, "

You Get to Me "You Get to Me" is a song recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt and released in 1974 as the first single from his self-titled Eddie Rabbitt (album), debut album. The song was written by Rabbitt and produced by David Malloy. It wa ...

", made the top 40 that year; and two songs in 1975, " Forgive and Forget" and "

I Should Have Married You "I Should Have Married You" is a song recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt and released in 1975 as the third and final single from his self-titled debut album. The song was written by Rabbitt and Even Stevens, and produced by D ...

", nearly made the top 10. These three songs, along with a recording of "Pure Love", were included on Rabbitt's 1975 self-named debut album. The year 1976 saw the release of his critically acclaimed album ''

Rocky Mountain Music ''Rocky Mountain Music'' is the second studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in 1976 under the Elektra Records label. The album produced three singles: "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)", which became Rabbitt' ...

'', which included Rabbitt's first number-one country hit, "

Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind) "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)" is a song by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in February 1976 as the first single from the album ''Rocky Mountain Music''. The song was Rabbitt's fourth country hit and the first of f ...

". In 1977, his third album, ''

Rabbitt Rabbitt were a South African rock band formed in 1972, evolving from a band called The Conglomeration, consisting of members Trevor Rabin, Duncan Faure, Ronnie Robot, and Neil Cloud. Their successes included making it to the top of the South A ...

'', was released, and made the top five on the Country Albums chart. Also in 1977, the

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...

named Rabbitt "Top New Male Vocalist of the Year". By that time, Rabbitt had a good reputation in Nashville, and was being compared by critics to singer

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...

. That year, at

Knott's Berry Farm Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park located in Buena Park, California, owned and operated by Cedar Fair. In 2015, it was the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America and averages approximately 4 million visitors per year. It features 40 ...

, Rabbitt appeared at the Country Music Awards and sang several of his songs from ''Rocky Mountain Music''. He won the Top New Male Vocalist of the Year award.

Crossover success

While still relatively unknown, Rabbitt toured with and opened for crossover star

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

, and also for

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

on a number of dates during her 1978 tour. Following the 1978 release of ''Variations'', which included two more number-one hits, Rabbitt released his first compilation album, ''The Best of Eddie Rabbitt''. It produced Rabbitt's first crossover single, "

Every Which Way But Loose ''Every Which Way but Loose'' is a 1978 American action comedy film released by Warner Bros., produced by Robert Daley and directed by James Fargo. It stars Clint Eastwood in an uncharacteristic and offbeat comedy role as Philo Beddoe, a tr ...

", which topped country charts and reached the top 30 on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary, and was featured in the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie of the same name. The song also broke the record for highest chart debut, entering at number 18. Rabbitt held this record alone until it was matched

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

's 2005 single "

Good Ride Cowboy "Good Ride Cowboy" is a song written by Jerrod Niemann, Bryan Kennedy, Richie Brown and Bob Doyle, and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in October 2005 as the first single from his tenth studio album '' The L ...

." The record was broken in 2006 upon the number-17 chart entrance of

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...

's " Once in a Lifetime." Rabbitt's next single, the R&B-flavored " Suspicions" from his 1979 album ''

Loveline ''Loveline'' is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pins ...

'', was an even greater crossover success, again reaching number one on Country charts and the top 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number five on the Adult Contemporary charts. He was given his own television special on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

, first airing on July 10, 1980, which included appearances by such performers as

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

and

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

. By this point, Rabbitt had been compared to a "young Elvis Presley". Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle 1981-11-13 ticket

Rabbitt's next album, ''

Horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...

'', reached platinum status and contained the biggest crossover hits of his career, "

" and "

Drivin' My Life Away "Drivin' My Life Away" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in June 1980 as the first single from the album '' Horizon''. The song was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens and David Mall ...

." Rabbitt developed "Rainy Night" from a song fragment he penned during a 1960s thunderstorm. "Drivin'" recalled Rabbitt's tenure as a truck driver, and was inspired by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's song "

Subterranean Homesick Blues "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 14, 1965, and released as a single by Columbia Records, catalogue number 43242, on March 8. It was the lead track on the album '' Bringing It All Back Home'', released so ...

". His popularity was so great at this point that he was offered his own variety television show, which he respectfully declined, saying "It's not worth the gamble." The release of his 1981 '' Step by Step'' album continued Rabbitt's crossover success as all three singles reached the top 10 on both Country and Adult Contemporary charts. The

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...

became Rabbitt's third straight single to reach the top five on the Country, Adult Contemporary, and ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts. The album ultimately reached gold status, Rabbitt's last album to do so. Rabbitt teamed up with another country pop crossover star, Crystal Gayle, on " You and I", which was included on his 1982 album '' Radio Romance''. The duet reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Country chart and became a pop smash, peaking at number seven and number two, respectively, on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. It was used as a love theme for a couple on the

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

''. The song "You Put the Beat in My Heart" from Rabbitt's second compilation, ''Greatest Hits - Volume II'' (1983), was his last crossover hit, reaching number 15 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Late career

During the 1980s, Rabbitt moved further from crossover-styled music. His 1984 album '' The Best Year of My Life'' produced a number-one country hit and three more top-10 country hits, but none had crossover success. The illness and subsequent death of his son put his career on hold following the 1985

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

release ''

Rabbitt Trax ''Rabbitt Trax'' is the tenth studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt, released in 1986 by RCA Records. The album produced four singles including "A World Without Love", "Repetitive Regret", "Both to Each Other (Friends and ...

'', which included the number one " Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)", a duet with country pop star

. Like "You and I", the song was used as the theme for a soap opera, ''

''. Rabbitt returned from his hiatus in 1988 with the release of ''

I Wanna Dance With You ''I Wanna Dance with You'' is the eleventh studio album by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt, released by RCA Records in 1988. The album produced four singles including the I Wanna Dance with You (song), title track, a cover of Dion DiMu ...

'', which despite somewhat negative reviews produced two number-one songs, a cover of

Dion's Dion’s is a privately owned chain of pizza restaurants based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As of 2020 Dion’s operates 25 restaurants; 20 in New Mexico, 2 in Texas, and 3 in Colorado. History Dion’s was founded in 1978 by Jon Patten and Bill Sc ...

" The Wanderer" and the album's title track. Additionally, " We Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" entered the top 10, although the album's final single "

That's Why I Fell in Love with You "That's Why I Fell in Love with You" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in April 1989 as the fourth and final single from his eleventh studio album ''I Wanna Dance with You''. The son ...

" stalled at number 66. Rabbitt's

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

album '' Jersey Boy'' was reviewed positively, as was its single " On Second Thought", Rabbitt's last number-one hit. The album also included "

American Boy "American Boy” is a song by British singer and rapper Estelle featuring American rapper Kanye West from the former's second studio album '' Shine'' (2008). The song was written by the artists, alongside Ethan Hendrickson, will.i.am, John Le ...

", a patriotic tune popular during the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

and used in Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. Rabbitt was among the many country singers who suffered a dramatic decline in chart success beginning in 1991. That year, he released '' Ten Rounds'', which produced the final charting single of his career, " Hang Up the Phone". Following that release, he left Capitol Records to tour with his band Hare Trigger. In 1997, Rabbitt signed with

Intersound Records Intersound Records was an American independent record label that operated in the 1980s and 1990s. The company was founded by industry veteran Don Johnson in 1982, who purchased some assets of Pickwick Records from its parent company and named his ...

, but was soon diagnosed with

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

. After a round of

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...

, he released the album '' Beatin' the Odds''. In 1998, he released his last studio album, '' Songs from Rabbittland''.

Musical styles

Rabbitt used innovative techniques to tie country music themes with light rhythm and blues-influenced tempos. His songs often used

echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...

, as Rabbitt routinely sang his own background vocals. In a process called the "Eddie Rabbitt Chorale", Rabbitt compensated for what ''Billboard Magazine'' described as a "somewhat thin and reedy voice" by recording songs in three-part harmonies. His music was compared to

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...

, particularly the album ''Horizon'', which was noted as having an Elvis-like sound. Rabbitt remarked that he liked "a lot of the old Memphis sounds that came out of

Sun Records Sun Records is an American independent record label founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee in February 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny C ...

" during the 1950s, and that he "wanted to catch the magic of a live band." He credited such wide-ranging artists as

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

, Elvis Presley, and

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

with influencing his works. When putting together an album, Rabbitt tried to make sure he put in "ten potential singles...no fillers, no junk." He remembered listening to albums as a child and hearing "two hits and a bunch of garbage."Gardner, Tom "Eddie Rabbitt: Brooklyn boy makes his voice heard in Nashville," ''

Wilmington Morning Star ''Star-News'' is an American, English language daily newspaper for Wilmington, North Carolina, and its surrounding area (known as the Lower Cape Fear). It is North Carolina's oldest newspaper in continuous publication. It was owned by Halifax ...

'', August 1, 1979 Rabbitt believed that country music was "Irish music" and that "the minor chords in ismusic gave it that mystical feel."Allis, Tim and Bell, Bonni
Still Grieving After the Death of His Young Son, Eddie Rabbitt Finds Solace in Country Music

People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People ...

, April 17, 1989 Although he did not strive to produce pop music, his songs helped influence the direction of country music, leading to the Urban Cowboy era during the 1980s. Critic Harry Sumrall of the ''

San Jose Mercury News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidiar ...

'' said that Rabbitt was "like a hot corn dog: nothing fancy, nothing frilly. You know what you're getting and you like it...never a country purist, Rabbitt nonetheless makes music that is plain and simple, with all of the virtues that make good country good.

is songs In linguistics, a copula (plural: copulas or copulae; abbreviated ) is a word or phrase that links the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, such as the word ''is'' in the sentence "The sky is blue" or the phrase ''was not being'' i ...

might be brisk, but they are also warm and familiar, like the breeze that wafts in over the fried artichokes." During the early 1990s, Rabbitt voiced criticism of hip hop music, particularly

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

, which he said was sending a negative message to youth. He stated that the music was "inciting a generation" and that it had helped to contribute to the high rates of teenaged pregnancy, high-school dropouts, and rapes during this period.

Personal life

When Rabbitt arrived in Nashville during the late 1960s, a friend gave him a pet chicken. Rabbitt said he had "an affinity for animals", and he kept the bird for a while before giving it to a farmer. During his Nashville days in the early 1970s, Rabbitt had a pet monkey, Jojo. Before his ''Rocky Mountain Music'' tour, the monkey bit Rabbitt, leaving his right arm in bandages. In 1976, Rabbitt married Janine Girardi,Johnson, Ann
Rabbitt, Eddie
Contemporary Musicians, 1991 whom he called "a little thing about five feet tall, with long, black beautiful hair, and a real pretty face." He had previously written the songs "Pure Love" and "Sweet Janine" for her. They had three children, Demelza, Timmy, and Tommy. Timmy was diagnosed with biliary atresia upon birth. The condition required a

liver transplant Liver transplantation or hepatic transplantation is the replacement of a Liver disease, diseased liver with the healthy liver from another person (allograft). Liver transplantation is a treatment option for Cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and ...

for survival and he underwent one in 1985, but the attempt failed and he died. Rabbitt temporarily put his career on hiatus, saying, "I didn't want to be out of the music business, but where I was more important." Tommy was born in 1986. Rabbitt felt his responsibility as an entertainer was to be a good role model and he was an advocate for many charitable organizations, including the

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...

, Easter Seals, and the American Council on Transplantation, of which he served as honorary chairman. He also worked as a spokesman for the

Muscular Dystrophy Association The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an American 501(c)(3) umbrella organization that works to support people with neuromuscular diseases. Founded in 1950 by Paul Cohen, who lived with muscular dystrophy, it works to combat neuromuscular d ...

and

United Cerebral Palsy United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is an international nonprofit charitable organization consisting of a network of affiliates. UCP is a leading service provider and advocate for adults and children with disabilities. As one of the largest health nonpro ...

. Rabbitt was a registered

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and let Bob Dole use his song "American Boy" during Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. Rabbitt was also a fan of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and visited the set during the show's fifth season in 1991–92.

Death

Rabbitt died on May 7, 1998, in Nashville from

at the age of 56. He had been diagnosed with the disease in March 1997 and had received radiation treatment and surgery to remove part of one lung. His body was interred at Calvary Cemetery in Nashville on May 8, 1998. No media outlets reported the death until after the burial at the family's request. The news came as a surprise to many in Nashville, including the performer's agent, who "had no idea Eddie was terminal" and had talked to him often, remarking that Rabbitt "was always upbeat and cheerful" in the final months of his life. Although he was widely believed to have been born in 1944 (this year can still be found in older publications and texts), at the time of his death, he was revealed to have been born in 1941.Names ... in the news - The Union Democrat, 11 May 1998
/ref>

Awards

Discography

References

External links

Eddie Rabbitt at CMT.com
*

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rabbitt, Eddie 1941 births 1998 deaths American country singer-songwriters American people of Irish descent American male singer-songwriters Country pop musicians Deaths from cancer in Tennessee Deaths from lung cancer Elektra Records artists Musicians from Brooklyn RCA Records Nashville artists 20th-century American singers Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Country musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male singers New York (state) Republicans