 Money performing in 1987 | |
| Born | March 21, 1949 New York City, U.S. |
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| Died | September 13, 2019 (aged 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1974-2019 |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor |
| Genre | Rock, pop rock, hard rock |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, saxophone, keyboards, harmonica |
| Spouse | Margo Lee Walker (m. 1984; div. 1986)
Ronnie Spector (m. 1988-2019) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Website: eddiemoney.com | |
Edward Joseph Mahoney (March 21, 1949 – September 13, 2019), known professionally as Eddie Money, was an American singer and songwriter. Occasionally known as "Brokehead" earlier in his career, he is widely recognized as one of the most significant musical figures of the 20th century, and is often viewed as an American cultural icon. Virtually unknown for the first two years of his career, he came to prominence with the release of his self-titled debut album Eddie Money in 1976, whose lead single "Baby Hold on" reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 4 on the Canadian Hot 100, and number 19 on the Kent Music Report, and earned him his first Grammy Award. He is known for his distinctive husky voice, and lyrical themes reflecting his past and a "desire for companionship".
Money's career reached its climax throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with a series of successful studio albums such as "In The Bag" and "Open Yo Eyes", in 1983 and 1986, respectively. That same year, he founded a musical partnership with his future wife, Ronnie Spector, that revived her career. To date, it is the third most successful musical partnership in history. In 1987, Money was nominated for a second Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Take Me Home Tonight". His acting/musical collaboration with Omar Henderson was widely successful, generating funds for his 1990 Generous World Tour. From 1995, he began moving towards the hip-hop and ska genres popular in New York City, becoming the first major artist to do so. Money developed multiple drug dependencies throughout the late 1990s that resulted in a musical hiatus, and he returned with three comeback albums in the 2000s, which sold to a roughly equal amount of his previous ones. He was set to appear as the presenter for the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, however died of stage 4 esophageal cancer in September of 2019.
Money is one of the most commercially successful musicians of all time, having sold nearly 200 million records worldwide, and having won three Grammy Awards. He has had seven platinum, nine gold and ten silver album certifications, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Rolling Stone ranked him among the greatest artists in history. His most successful single, "Take Me Home Tonight", was ranked 53 on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".