Richard Marx is an ace musician, but he’s also a champion conversationalist.
The singer/songwriter/producer who has commandeered the charts for decades with more than 30 Top 40 pop and adult contemporary hits can easily zigzag topics, whether music past and current, shaking a martini, or applying moisturizer.
Marx talked to USA TODAY recently about his new album, “After Hours,” which embraces the Great American Songbook, and podcast/YouTube series “Stories to Tell.” But he also took time to chat about some of his favorite music; how, at 62, he still looks like the guy who dropped “Don’t Mean Nothing” in 1987; and yes, his spectacular hair.
Richard Marx is an Elvis devotee
Marx was about 8 years old when he purchased his first album, Elvis Presley’s “’68 Comeback Special,” spending $8.99 of his allowance.
“I was the Elvis freak (in the house). My dad was never an Elvis fan. He was a jazz musician; he looked down on Elvis but came to appreciate his charisma and performance. My mom loved Elvis but not like I did,” Marx says. “The first time I saw him on TV, I was captivated like everyone else.”
Richard Marx says his enviable hair is more “luck” than good genes.
Richard Marx doesn’t listen to much old music – with one exception
Marx says he’s “constantly” listening to new music, with his favorite of the past few years the Canadian electronic duo Bob Moses. “I’m obsessed with them,” he says.
But there is one classic embedded in Marx’s musical soul: Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1979 gem, “I Am,” which includes the evergreens “Boogie Wonderland” and “After the Love Has Gone.”
“It’s my desert island disc,” he says. “I’ve written with Philip Bailey, but the heart of that group was (the late) Maurice White. He was a hero of mine. His voice – he’s one of the most underrated singers ever.”
Richard Marx has worked with dozens of artists, but one stands out for a surprising reason
“I’m going to answer this differently than I thought I would,” Marx says when asked who his favorite collaborator has been during his lengthy career. “I’ve written many songs with Keith Urban, including three of his hits, and it’s never a particularly enjoyable experience,” he says, continuing, “It’s laborious. The music usually comes fast to us and we riff off each other, but when it comes to lyrics, it’s not fun. We’ve had some contentious moments working together, but … I love what I’ve done with Keith.”
Marx cites Urban’s 2011 anthem “Long Hot Summer” as one of his favorites, which the pair wrote in three writing sessions in three different cities.
“My relationship with Keith is interesting in that we butt heads, but I love him and at the end of the day, what we have written together I really hold dear.”
Richard Marx’s keys to health – no sugar and plenty of sun
The lithe Marx has been a vegetarian – sometimes vegan – most of his life, as well as someone committed to fitness. But when he turned 60 two years ago, he made a major change to his diet and cut out all added sugar.
After a few months of the new regimen he had some medical tests and, “My doctor went, ‘Dude! You’re 60 and you have no inflammation in your body.’ And I drink!,” he says with a laugh.
Marx, who lives in Hidden Hills, California with wife Daisy Fuentes, is also a fan of the sun.
“I’ll sit in the sun for 20 minutes without any sunscreen, get my vitamin D. The sun is not our enemy,” he says.
He’s tried meditation, but “I always fall asleep … my meditation is to take an hourlong hike.”
Richard Marx loves a good cocktail, but is also committed to fitness.
Age has also injected Marx with a modified philosophical outlook on life.
“It can be such a bummer, but I’m starting to be conscious of how much time I have left. I don’t want to waste time. I want to get experiences. I have three sons I’m really close to, I’m madly in love – Daisy and I have so much fun together. We have a lot of stuff we have to do, but we just need to have fun,” he says.
Yes, Richard Marx knows he has great hair
Marx’s coif, legendary in the ‘80s and ‘90s and just as lush today, isn’t the product of genetics, but, he says, luck.
“I have a half-brother who is bald, so I’m so lucky I have all this hair. God knows I’ve tortured with product and hair straightener and it’s still like, ‘Love ya! Still here!’”
Richard Marx isn’t a Botox guy – for now
Given Marx’s proclivity for the sun, he knows he has to stay moisturized to combat the effect of the rays. His wife is always ready to give an assist.
“Daisy will be standing next to me in the bathroom and going, ‘Oh my God, is that how you put lotion on your face?’ She always has some retinol and all that stuff and I’m becoming a bit more diligent about my skin,” he says.
As for Botox, Marx isn’t against the procedure, but “never say never. I do know that my vanity will probably get the best of me. That’s the reason my hair isn’t white. I let my hair go gray a little during the pandemic and my oldest son (Brandon) went, ‘Dad, you need to color your hair because you look 10 years older!’”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Richard Marx loves Elvis, sunshine and sometimes Keith Urban
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