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Rex Smith

{{Short description|American actor and singer (born 1955)}}

{{other people|Rex Smith}}

{{Infobox musical artist

|name = Rex Smith

|image = Rex Smith signing autographs.jpg

|caption = Rex Smith signing autographs in 2012

|background = person

|birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|9|19}}

|instrument = Vocals, guitar

|genre = Soft rock, pop

|occupation = Actor, singer

|years_active = 1972–present

|label = Columbia

|associated_acts = REX

|website = {{url|http://rexsmith.com}}

}}

Rex Smith (born September 19, 1955) is an American actor and singer. Smith made his acting debut in the Broadway musical Grease in 1978. He is noted for his role as Jesse Mach in the 1985 television series Street Hawk and for being the first actor to play the Marvel Comics superhero Daredevil in live action. During the late 1970s, Smith was popular as a teen idol. He was featured regularly in 16 Magazine and Tiger Beat. He also had a gold top 10 single, "You Take My Breath Away", in 1979.

Career

=Music=

In the early 1970s, Smith was the lead singer for a band from Atlanta called Tricks and later a band named Phaedra. Smith next sang vocals in a hard rock band called Rex.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.musicrepublicmagazine.com/2017/03/rex-smith-rock-roll-dream-1976-1983-hne-recordings-24th-march-2017/|title=Rex Smith: Rock and Roll Dream 1976-1983 (HNE Recordings) 24th March 2017|author=Sally Fox|date=March 24, 2017}}

In 1979, he had a hit single from the television film Sooner or Later, entitled "You Take My Breath Away", which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is on the platinum-selling album Sooner or Later, which is also named after the film. The music for this song was written by Stephen J. Lawrence and the lyrics were written by Bruce Hart. For many years, it was a staple on the play lists of FM radio stations with a soft rock or "lite" format.

In 1981, Smith hit the top 40 again with a remake of "Everlasting Love", in a duet with singer Rachel Sweet. Peaking at No. 32, the song is Smith's last charting hit to date. The song also became Smith's only hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 35.{{cite book|author=Roberts, David|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=509}}

Smith performed live at the 1982 Miss Universe pageant main event night, held in Lima, Peru.{{cite news|via=PressReader|url=https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/the-philippine-star/20170214/282308204854545|title=Rex Smith Live at Estancia Feb. 15|work=The Philippine Star|date=February 14, 2017|access-date=February 12, 2019}}

His latest album was released in 2000 and entitled Simply...Rex. It was re-released in 2006 and re-titled You Take My Breath Away.{{cite news|url=https://blogs.20minutos.es/que-fue-de-todos-los-demas/2017/04/08/rex-smith-el-halcon-callejero-treet-hawk/|title=¿Qué fue del actor Rex Smith, el 'halcón callejero'?|trans-title=What happened to the actor Rex Smith, the 'street hawk'?|work=20 minutos|language=es|date=April 8, 2017|access-date=February 12, 2019}}

In 2016, Rex performed in the Philippines at the Kia Theatre, Araneta Center.{{cite news|title=Simply Rex Smith|url=https://www.manilatimes.net/simply-rex-smith/285776/|work=The Manila Times|date=September 14, 2016|access-date=February 12, 2019}}

=Television=

Smith is best known for his role as motorcycle police officer Jesse Mach in the short-running 1985 television series Street Hawk, but he has also made guest appearances on a variety of television shows, such as The Love Boat, Baywatch, Caroline in the City and JAG. Smith has been a celebrity spokesperson for a number of corporate entities.{{cite web|access-date=February 12, 2019|url=https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/seattle/se70.html|title=Interview with Rex Smith|publisher=TalkinBroadway.com}}

Also in 1982, Smith replaced Andy Gibb as a host on the music variety show Solid Gold.{{cite magazine|title=Keeping Tabs on Celebs|magazine=Jet|date=September 27, 1982|page=55}}

In 1989, Smith played Daredevil in the television movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk.{{cite news|url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/45209/20150409/first-daredevil-better-remember.htm|title=The First On-Screen Daredevil Was Better Than You Remember|work=Tech Times|author=Robin Parrish|date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 12, 2019}} This was intended as a backdoor pilot for an ongoing Daredevil television series (which did not materialize).{{cite magazine|last= Glenn|first= Greenberg |author-link= Glenn Greenberg|date= February 2014|title= The Televised Hulk|magazine= Back Issue!|issue= 70 |pages= 24-25|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing}}

From 1990 through 1992, Smith was a contract player on the CBS daytime drama As the World Turns in the role of Darryl Crawford.{{cite web|url=http://emmyonline.com/rex-smith-from-as-the-world-turns-talks-egos-fans-and-ad-libbing|title=REX SMITH from "As The World Turns" talks egos, fans and ad-libbing|publisher=National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences|access-date=February 12, 2019}}

=Stage=

In 1978, he made his Broadway debut in the musical Grease in the lead role of Danny Zuko.{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1995/03/12/grease-29/|title=Grease!|work=Orlando Sentinel|author=Daryl H. Miller and Los Angeles Daily News|date=March 12, 1995}}

Smith starred as Frederic in the New York Shakespeare Festival's Central Park production of The Pirates of Penzance.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/09/theater/stage-pirates-of-penzance-on-broadway.html|title=Stage: 'Pirates of Penzance' on Broadway|author=Frank Rich|work=The New York Times |date=January 9, 1981}} In 1981, Smith won the Theatre World Award for his role in Pirates.{{cite web|url=http://www.theatreworldawards.org/past-recipients.html|title=Theatre World Award Recipients|access-date=February 12, 2019|publisher=Theatre World Awards}} Smith reprised the role of Frederic in the 1983 film adaptation, along with fellow Broadway cast members Kevin Kline as the Pirate King, Linda Ronstadt as Mabel and Tony Azito as the Police Sergeant.{{cite news|title='Pirates' Brought from Stage to Screen|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/20/movies/pirates-brought-from-stage-to-screen.html|author=Janet Maslin|work=The New York Times |date=February 20, 1983|author-link=Janet Maslin}}

Smith has appeared in other Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grand Hotel, The Human Comedy, and Annie Get Your Gun. He played Joe Gillis opposite Diahann Carroll as Norma Desmond in the 1995 Canadian production of Sunset Boulevard.{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1995/legit/reviews/sunset-boulevard-8-1200443303/|author=Mira Friedlander|title=Sunset Boulevard|magazine=Variety|date=October 23, 1995}}

In 1995, Smith reprised his role as Danny Zuko throughout the touring production of Grease.{{Cite web|last=News|first=Daryl H. Miller Los Angeles Daily|title=GREASE!|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1995-03-12-9503090697-story.html|access-date=2020-10-16|website=OrlandoSentinel.com|date=12 March 1995 |language=en-US}}

Smith also starred as Fred Graham/Petruchio in the 2001–02 national tour of Kiss Me, Kate.{{cite magazine|title=Rex Smith and Rachel York to Tour in Kiss Me, Kate|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/rex-smith-and-rachel-york-to-tour-in-kiss-me-kate-com-94684|author=David Lefkowitz|author2=Kenneth Jones|date=January 31, 2001|magazine=Playbill}}

In 2005, Smith again starred in The Pirates of Penzance, this time playing the role of the Pirate King.{{cite magazine|title=Noted Star Rex Smith Performs at Bristol in Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance|url=https://www.bellflower.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=24945|magazine=City of Bellflower|publisher=The Bellflower Citizen|date=October 2005|volume=5|issue=10}}

Smith appeared as the Captain in The Sound of Music at the Ogunquit Playhouse, in 2010.{{cite magazine|author=Andy Warhol and Bob Colacello|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/new-again-rex-smith|title=New Again: Rex Smith|magazine=Interview|date=August 12, 2015}}

Smith has appeared in non-singing roles in two Neil Simon plays: Plaza Suite opposite Eve Plumb at Judson Theatre Company in 2015{{cite web | url=https://www.thepilot.com/news/features/rex-smith-joins-cast-of-judson-theatres-plaza-suite/article_840e28a8-f8bd-11e4-9934-c3113586a40b.html | title=Rex Smith Joins Cast of Judson Theatre's 'Plaza Suite' | date=13 May 2015 }} and Barefoot in the Park at Sharon Playhouse in 2018.{{cite web | url=https://theberkshireedge.com/theatre-review-barefoot-in-the-park-at-sharon-playhouse-is-delightful-genuinely-entertaining/ | title=THEATRE REVIEW: 'Barefoot in the Park' at Sharon Playhouse is delightful, genuinely entertaining | date=August 2018 }}

Most recently, Smith played the role of Billy Mack in the multi-media production Love Actually Live at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in both 2018 and 2019.{{cite news|author=Shaena Engle|url=https://www.wehotimes.com/love-actually-live-returns-to-the-wallis/|title=Love Actually Live Returns to the Wallis|newspaper=Weho Times|date=December 12, 2019}}

Personal life

Smith has been married four times:

  • Lois Smith, a Playboy bunny; married from 1978-1983 {{Cite web | url=https://people.com/archive/leading-man-rex-smith-says-hes-looking-for-love-in-the-classifieds-vol-21-no-16/ |title = Leading Man Rex Smith Says He's Looking for Love—in the Classifieds}}
  • Jamie Buell, married on February 28, 1987, and divorced in 1995. The couple have two daughters, Meagan Elizabeth (born 1987) and Madison Marie (born 1990).{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/archive/face-to-face-vol-49-no-8/|author=Richard Gerome|title=Face to Face|date=March 2, 1998|magazine=People|volume=49|number=8}}
  • Courtney Schrage, married in 1998 and divorced a few years later. She later became her husband's manager. The couple have a son, Gatsby Richard (born 1999), and a daughter, Savannah.
  • Dr. Tracy Lin, born and raised in Los Angeles. They were married in September, 2009.

Smith also has a son by Karen Lakey, a record-company representative with whom he had a weekend affair. Their son, Brandon, was born in 1980. Father and son met for the first time in 1997, during Smith's appearance in the musical Sunset Boulevard when he was signing autographs.

Smith is the brother of Michael Lee Smith, the singer of rock band Starz.{{cite web|url=https://sleazeroxx.com/starz-singer-michael-lee-smith-posts-rough-mix-of-new-song-runaway-jane/|title=Starz singer Michael Lee Smith posts rough mix of new song "Runaway Jane"|work=Sleaze Roxx|date=September 30, 2016|access-date=February 12, 2019}}

Discography

=Albums=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Title

!Label

1976

|Rex

|Columbia

1977

|Where Do We Go from Here

|Columbia

1979

|Sooner or Later

|Columbia

1979

|Forever

|Columbia

1980

|The Pirates of Penzance (Broadway Cast Album)

|Elektra

1981

|Everlasting Love

|Columbia

1983

|Camouflage

|Columbia

1995

|Sunset Boulevard (Original Canadian Cast Recording)

|Polydor

1997

|The Human Comedy (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

|Kilmarnock Records

1999

| The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore! (1998 Broadway Revival Cast)

|Atlantic

2000

|Simply…Rex (re-titled You Take My Breath Away, 2006)

|MCA/Universal

=Singles=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

!rowspan=2|Year

!rowspan=2|Single

!colspan=5|Peak chart positions

!rowspan=2|Album

style=font-size:smaller;

!width=35|US{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rex-smith/chart-history/tlp/|title=Rex Smith|website=Billboard.com|access-date=11 October 2021}}

!width=35|US AC

!width=35|AUS{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=279}}

!width=35|CAN

!width=35|UK

rowspan=3|1978

|style="text-align:left;"|"You Take My Breath Away"

| 10

| 11

| 54

| 3

| –

|rowspan=3|Sooner or Later

style="text-align:left;"|"Simply Jessie"

| –

| 31

| –

| –

| –

style="text-align:left;"|"Never Gonna Give You Up"

| –

| –

| –

| –

| –

rowspan=2|1979

|style="text-align:left;"|"Forever"

| –

| –

| –

| –

| –

|rowspan=2|Forever

style="text-align:left;"|"Let's Make a Memory"

| –

| –

| –

| –

| –

rowspan=2|1981

|style="text-align:left;"|"Everlasting Love" (with Rachel Sweet)

| 32

| –

| 41

| –

| 35

|rowspan=2|Everlasting Love

style="text-align:left;"|"Love Will Always Make You Cry"

| –

| –

| –

| –

| –

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!class=unsortable|Notes

1979

|Sooner or Later

|Michael Skye

|TV movie

1980

|Headin' for Broadway

|Fast Eddie

|

1983

|The Pirates of Penzance

|Frederic

|

1987

|Shades of Love: The Ballerina and the Blues

|Rick Peterson

|TV movie

1988

|Transformations

|Wolfgang Shadduck

|Alternate title: Alien Transformations

1989

|The Trial of the Incredible Hulk

|Matt Murdock / Daredevil

|TV movie

1990

|Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer

|Andy Sacks

|TV movie

1994

|Once in a Lifetime

|Jeffrey Fields

|TV movie

1994

|A Passion to Kill

|Ted

|Alternate title: Rules of Obsession (UK)

1998

|Richie Rich's Christmas Wish

|Rudy

|Direct-to-video

2006

|Pope Dreams

|Don

|Alternate title: Music for My Mother

2006

|Collier & Co.

|Uncle Billy

|Alternate title: John Schneider's Collier & Co.: Hot Pursuit!

2015

|Cats Dancing on Jupiter

|Rex Katz

|

2016

|Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel

|Cube

|

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Title

!width=85|Role

!class=unsortable|Notes

1979

|California Fever

|Rex Smith

|Episode: "Underground Jock"

1980

|The Love Boat

|Mark Redding

|Episode: "Vicki's First Love"

1980

|Saturday Night Live

|Frederic / Musical Guest

|The cast of The Pirates of Penzance

1982–83

|Solid Gold

| Himself

| Co-host (45 episodes)

1984

|Faerie Tale Theatre

|The Prince

|Episode: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"

1985

|Street Hawk

|Jesse Mach

|Lead role (13 episodes)

1986

|New Love, American Style

|Rookie

|Episode: "Love and Dear Penelope"

1986

|Murder, She Wrote

|Stew Bennett

|Episode: "If a Body Meet a Body"

1986

|Dear Penelope and Peter

|Ben Berlin

|Pilot

1987

|Houston Knights

|Jake Bodine

|Episode: "Desperado"

1987

|Christmas with Flicka

|Himself

|TV special

1988

|Cagney & Lacey

|Jerry Wickes

|Episode: "Old Flames"

1990–92

|As the World Turns

|Darryl Crawford

|Daytime serial (40 episodes)

1993

|Silk Stalkings

|Bob Johnson

|Episode: "Night Games"

1994

|Cobra

|Mark Dante

|Episode: "Blast from the Past"

1997

|The Sentinel

|Galileo / Frank Rachins

|Episode: "Dead Drop"

1997

|JAG

|Sgt. Max Frankl

|Episode: "The Court-Martial of Sandra Gilbert"

1997

|Caroline in the City

|Dr. David Engel

|Episode: "Caroline and the Free Cable"

1998

|Pacific Blue

|Hudson Miller

|Episode: "Caretakers"

1998

|Baywatch

|Gavin

|Episode: "Friends Forever"

1999

|Malibu, CA

|Jesse Mercer

|Episode: "Jason's Song"

2000

|The Norm Show

|Pirate #1

|Episode: "Norm vs. Jenny"

2002

|Just Cause

|Keith Temple

|Episode: "Fading Star"

2007

|City Girls

|Ben Morgan

|Pilot

=Stage=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Title

!Role

!Production dates

!class=unsortable|Theatre

rowspan=2|GreaseDanny ZukoApril 13 - June 3, 1979US Tour
u/s Danny Zuko (replacement)July 1979 - April 13, 1980Broadway: Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre / Majestic Theatre
The Pirates of PenzanceFredericAugust 5, 1980 - November 28, 1982Off-Broadway: Delacorte Theatre

Broadway: Uris Theatre / Minskoff Theatre, New York City

The Human ComedySpanglerApril 5–15, 1984Broadway: Royale Theatre, New York City
West Side StoryTonySeptember 3–21, 1985Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
BrownstoneStuartOctober 8 – December 6, 1986Off-Broadway: Union Square Theatre, New York City
CarouselBilly BigelowAugust 15 – September 11, 1988US Tour
Anything GoesBilly CrockerOctober 18, 1988 – January 15, 1989US National Tour
Grand HotelFelix Von Gaigern (replacement)April – May 1990Broadway: Martin Beck Theatre, New York City
GreaseDanny ZukoSeptember 24, 1994 – 1995US National Tour
rowspan=2|Sunset Boulevardrowspan=2|Joe GillisOctober 15, 1995 – August 18, 1996Canadian Tour: Toronto
December 1, 1996 – April 9, 1997Canadian Tour: Vancouver
The Scarlet PimpernelChauvelin (replacement)October 10, 1998 – May 30, 1999Broadway: Minskoff Theatre, New York City
rowspan=2|Annie Get Your GunFrank ButlerJuly 11 – October 29, 2000US National Tour
Frank Butler (replacement)April 17 – May 6, 2001US National Tour
Kiss Me, KateFred Graham / PetruchioJune 19, 2001 – June 16, 2002US National Tour
The Pirates of PenzanceThe Pirate KingJune 30 – July 15, 2007Carpenter Performing Arts Center
The Sound of MusicCaptain Georg von TrappJune 30 – July 24, 2010Ogunquit Playhouse
Heathers: The MusicalCoach Ripper / Big Bud Dean / Ram's DadSeptember 21 – October 6, 2013Hudson Backstage Theatre
GreaseVince FontaineMay 2 – July 27, 2014Welk Resorts Theatre
rowspan=2|Love Actually Liverowspan=2|Billy MackNovember 27 – December 29, 2019rowspan=2|Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
November 27 – December 31, 2021
AidaZoserSeptember 30 – October 1, 2022James K. Polk Theater

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://www.rexsmith.com}}
  • {{IMDb name|0809688}}
  • {{IBDB name}}
  • {{iobdb name|13942}}
  • {{playbill person}}
  • [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/seattle/se70.html Rex Smith Interview]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Rex}}

Category:1955 births

Category:Living people

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male musical theatre actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:American male pop singers

Category:American rock singers

Category:American soft rock musicians

Category:American ballad musicians

Category:Columbia Records artists

Category:Male actors from Jacksonville, Florida

Category:Singers from Jacksonville, Florida