Richard Marx at The Union Chapel

Richard Marx was on a mission to rock London audiences at the Union Chapel, Islington.

His opening line was, “I am going to soft rock the shit out of you” and from there he had the audience in the palm of his hand. The Union Chapel - a working church as well as a jewel of a concert venue used by huge stars from varied genres from Elton John to Philip Glass - was well-chosen, with superb acoustics, and dare I say Marx was received with cult-like ecclesiastical admiration and was devoured by his devout fans who hung onto his every utterance.

Many knew the lyrics to every song and sang along with what seemed a very personal connection, and Marx also read out some requests that came in via his website. In his book, Stories To Tell - A Memoir, he says that at one time his music had been down-played as ‘just pop’ and he works hard to dispel the myth with his multi-genre repertoire, and musical finesse. On both piano and acoustic guitar, he showcased his legendary talents. Richard Marx has created some of the best known songs of all time but it seems some don’t know the man behind the hits. Undeniably, he has earned his place as a masterful musical legend.

Marx’s musical performance was peppered with his charming, funny, and colourful orations. His dry humor, unusual for an American (and I speak as one), went down well with the British audience which happened to include the comedian Bobby Davro. He generously connected with his fans, looking up to the eaves, offering gratitude and celebrating a woman who had come through breast cancer.

He has worked with everyone, and notably on his new album, Songwriter, collaborated with Burt Bacharach on the song ‘Always’, written about his wife Daisy Fuentes. There was a video of Richard and Burt working together, and with technical precision Marx also performed with his three talented sons - via prerecorded video - another new song, ‘Same Heartbreak Different Day’ and seamlessly pulled it off. He rocked hard on ‘Shame On You’, his collaboration with the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, and his raspy voice paid off, adding gravitas. And of course the awaited performance of ‘Right Here Waiting’ was perfectly gifted and I noted several of audience moved to tears.

Aside from having to re-tune his guitar, the performance was flawless. It was unforgettable and in fact an experience, his generous spirit lavished the church rafters.

Richard Marx is interviewed in the September-October issue of The American. Click here to get a copy

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