Richard X. Heyman
Encyclopedia
Richard X. Heyman is an American
singer-songwriter
, born in 1951 and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey
, who has released seven albums ("Living Room!!", 1988; "Hey Man!", 1990; "Cornerstone", 1998; "Basic Glee", 2002; "Rightovers", 2003, "Actual Sighs", 2007, "Intakes", 2009 and the 2-CD set "Tiers/And Other Stories, 2011), two EP's ("Actual Size", 1986 and "Heyman, Hoosier & Herman", 2001), one single ("Vacation" b/w "Takin' My Chances", 1980), a memoirs entitled "Boom Harangue" and a video retrospective of his career, "X-Posures."
Heyman released his first indie
EP, Actual Size, a collection of six of his finest songs recorded on an 8-track Tascam machine in a home studio, in 1987, the same studio in which Richard would subsequently record his album Living Room!!, released in 1988.
Heyman started banging on things when he was five, got a full drum kit when he was seven, and was an accomplished drummer by the time he was twelve. He picked up guitar and piano in his teens, which was also when he began writing songs. Richard went solo in his twenties, although he’s also drummed for such artists as Brian Wilson
, Link Wray, Jonathan Richman and the Left Banke’s Michael Brown, composer of "Walk Away Renee." He also played keyboards for the legendary Ben E. King
and guitar for the lead singer of The Shangri-Las, Mary Weiss. His influences are as varied as Bernstein
to The Beatles
, Richard Rodgers
to the Rascals, and the Blues to The Byrds
. On the live front, Richard leads his own band on guitar and keyboards. Richard is also currently the drummer and contributing songwriter for legendary New Jersey garage rockers, The Doughboys (New Jersey)
. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Manhattan.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, born in 1951 and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
, who has released seven albums ("Living Room!!", 1988; "Hey Man!", 1990; "Cornerstone", 1998; "Basic Glee", 2002; "Rightovers", 2003, "Actual Sighs", 2007, "Intakes", 2009 and the 2-CD set "Tiers/And Other Stories, 2011), two EP's ("Actual Size", 1986 and "Heyman, Hoosier & Herman", 2001), one single ("Vacation" b/w "Takin' My Chances", 1980), a memoirs entitled "Boom Harangue" and a video retrospective of his career, "X-Posures."
Heyman released his first indie
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
EP, Actual Size, a collection of six of his finest songs recorded on an 8-track Tascam machine in a home studio, in 1987, the same studio in which Richard would subsequently record his album Living Room!!, released in 1988.
Heyman started banging on things when he was five, got a full drum kit when he was seven, and was an accomplished drummer by the time he was twelve. He picked up guitar and piano in his teens, which was also when he began writing songs. Richard went solo in his twenties, although he’s also drummed for such artists as Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, Link Wray, Jonathan Richman and the Left Banke’s Michael Brown, composer of "Walk Away Renee." He also played keyboards for the legendary Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
and guitar for the lead singer of The Shangri-Las, Mary Weiss. His influences are as varied as Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
to the Rascals, and the Blues to The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
. On the live front, Richard leads his own band on guitar and keyboards. Richard is also currently the drummer and contributing songwriter for legendary New Jersey garage rockers, The Doughboys (New Jersey)
The Doughboys (New Jersey)
-History:The Doughboys are an American rock band from Plainfield, New Jersey. The band originally formed when three members of The Ascots, Richard X. Heyman , Mike Caruso , and Willy Kirchofer were joined by two members of The Apollos, Myke Scavone , and Mike Farina . The group initially kept...
. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Manhattan.