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Dick Marx

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Dick Marx
Birth nameRichard Henry Marx
Born(1924-04-12)April 12, 1924
Chicago, Illinois, US[1]
DiedAugust 12, 1997(1997-08-12) (aged 73)
Highland Park, Illinois, US
GenresJazz, pop, rock
Occupation(s)Musician, arranger, composer
InstrumentPiano
Years active1950s–1997

Richard Henry Marx (April 12, 1924 – August 12, 1997) was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials.

Personal life

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Marx and wife Ruth (née Guildoo) had a son, Richard Marx, pop singer, songwriter, and record producer.[2] Marx also had two daughters and a son, from a previous marriage.[3] He was of German Jewish descent.[4][5]

Career

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Marx played piano in childhood. He got his professional start playing in nightclubs in Chicago.[6] In the 1950s, he accompanied singer Helen Merrill and released several albums.

Beginning in the 1960s, he spent three decades in advertising, writing commercial jingles for Dial soap, Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal, Ken-L Ration dog food, Nestle's Crunch candy bars, Arm & Hammer baking soda, Virginia Slims cigarettes, La Choy Chinese food, the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team and many more. His son Richard and wife Ruth sang on some of the commercials.

Dick Marx also composed a theme for news programs on WBBM-TV in 1975 that would eventually expand to other local stations owned and operated by CBS and used in different arrangements over nearly 50 years before the network introduced a new theme that aligned with its current branding.[7] In the 1980s he moved to Los Angeles and composed music for the films A League of Their Own and Edwards and Hunt and the television program Fudge. He died in Highland Park, Illinois, from injuries caused by a car accident in Las Vegas.[6]

Discography

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As leader

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  • Too Much Piano (Brunswick, 1955)
  • Dick Marx Piano (Coral, 1957)
  • Marx Makes Broadway with Buddy Collette (VSOP, 1957)
  • Delicate Savagery (Coral, 1958)[8]
  • You Haven't Seen the USA Until You've Seen Chicago! (DMA, 1968) written by Dick Marx, Paul Severson & Eric Stigler

As sideman or guest musician

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With Johnny Frigo

With Eddie Harris

With Helen Merrill

With Ken Nordine

With others

  • 1957 The Singing Reed, Lucy Reed
  • 1987 Richard Marx, Richard Marx
  • 1992 S'Wonderful, George Gershwin
  • 1992 The Gershwin Songbook: 'S Wonderful, George Gershwin
  • 1995 Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys, Pee Wee King & His Golden West Cowboys
  • 1995 The Complete Gershwin Songbooks, George Gershwin
  • 1997 America's Song Butchers: The Weird World of Homer & Jethro, Homer and Jethro
  • 2006 Blue Suede Shoes: Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight, Pee Wee King[8]

As arranger or conductor

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  • 1989 Repeat Offender, Richard Marx
  • 1994 Have a Little Faith, Joe Cocker
  • 1996 Kissing Rain, Roch Voisine
  • 1997 Across from Midnight, Joe Cocker
  • 1997 Flesh & Bone, Richard Marx[8]
  • 1993 Art Of Life, X Japan

References

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  1. ^ Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1938
  2. ^ "Ruth Guildoo Marx Royalties". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  3. ^ "Dick Marx's Death Notice". The New York Times. August 14, 1997. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  4. ^ "Grammy Jews". www.jewishworldreview.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  5. ^ "Richard Marx on Twitter: "My grandfather was a Jew from Frankfurt who lost family in the camps and still the fact that this comedian is being jailed in the UK should frighten all of us." / Twitter".
  6. ^ a b Hogan, Ed. "Dick Marx". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Exclusive: Inside the rebranding of CBS-owned local stations". NewscastStudio. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  8. ^ a b c d "Dick Marx | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
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