Eddie Schwartz

Schwartz, Eddie

Eddie (Edward Sydney) Schwartz. Songwriter, singer, record producer, guitarist, b Toronto 22 Dec 1949; BA (York) 1976. Eddie Schwartz began writing songs in his teens and fronted the Toronto rock band Icarus in the late 1960s. After studying English literature and music at York University, and playing guitar in Charity Brown's band, he turned to songwriting professionally in 1978. He had his first major success in 1980 with 'Hit Me with Your Best Shot,' an international hit for the US singer Pat Benatar. Under his own name, Schwartz released three LPs 1980-4: Schwartz (A&M SP 9047), No Refuge (A&M SP 9056) and Public Life (WEA 25 03411). The single 'All Our Tomorrows' (1982) was a modest hit internationally, while 'Does a Fool Ever Learn?,' 'Over the Line,' and 'Special Girl' were popular in Canada. After 1984 he concentrated on studio work as a songwriter and producer.

Schwartz has collaborated with various other writers, most notably the Toronto producer and keyboard player David Tyson, and with Lawrence Gowan, for whom he produced a series of albums. He also has had his songs recorded by the British singers Paul Carrack ('Don't Shed a Tear,' a major hit in 1987) and Joe Cocker; by the US artists America ('Special Girl'), Rita Coolidge, the Doobie Brothers, Martina McBride, Meatloaf, Eddie Money, Jeffrey Osborne ('Room with a View'), the Pointer Sisters, Carly Simon, and Donna Summer ('Fascination'); and by the Canadians April Wine, Long John Baldry, Véronique Béliveau, Candi, Doug and the Slugs, Helix, Honeymoon Suite, Peter Pringle, and Erroll Starr. Schwartz has produced or co-produced (with Tyson and others) recordings of his songs by Baldry, Carrack, Coolidge, the Doobie Brothers, Osborne and Summer.

Eddie Schwartz released the solo album Tour de Schwartz (Melody Hill Records, MHRCD-0022) in 1995; the singles "Bourbon Street" and "Every Road I Take" entered the RPM charts. Continuing to focus on songwriting and producing, in 1997 he relocated to Nashville, where he signed with Big Picture Entertainment and was a SOCAN membership consultant. He returns often to Canada, eg to take part in Bluebird North and songwriters' circles.

Awards and Appointments

Schwartz won Juno Awards as composer of the year (for 'Hit Me with Your Best Shot,' 1980) and as most promising male vocalist (1981), and received PROCAN's William Harold Moon Award in 1988 for international achievement by a Canadian. He holds a 2007 Canadian Smooth Jazz Award for "Everything Love Is," which he co-wrote with Amy Sky. He also has several SOCAN Classics awards, and a BMI award for "Doctor." By 2003, 30 million recordings of his songs had been sold. Schwartz has been a board member of CARAS, and of SOCAN beginning in 1990; vice-president (1998-9, 2006-7) and acting president (2007- ) of the Songwriters Association of Canada; and president of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006- ). He joined the IndieMV Media Group advisory board in 2008. In 2012, Schwartz was named a member of the Order of Canada.

See also: Pop Music, Anglo-Canadian; Songwriters and Songwriting (English Canada), 1954-2000s

Writings

"A fair shake for our recording artists," National Post, 19 Mar 2008