Rob Hyman

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Rob Hyman

| image = 2022 Lieder am See - The Hooters - Rob Hyman - by 2eight - 9SC5302.jpg

| landscape = yes

| caption = Hyman performing with the Hooters in 2022.

| image_size =

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name = Robert Andrew Hyman

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|4|24}}

| birth_place = Meriden, Connecticut, U.S.

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|keyboards|melodica|accordion|guitar|mandolin}}

| genre = Rock

| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter|producer}}

| years_active = 1978–present

| label =

| current_member_of = The Hooters

}}

Robert Andrew Hyman (born April 24, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard and accordion player, producer, and arranger, best known for being a founding member of the rock band the Hooters.{{cite book|title=Stars of David: Rock'n'roll's Jewish Stories|author=Benarde, S.R.|date=2003|publisher=Brandeis University Press, published by University Press of New England|isbn=9781584653035|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XI4-VnSrEcAC|access-date=2015-03-02}}

Early life

Hyman started taking piano lessons at the age of four and grew up playing in local bands in Meriden, Connecticut, including The Trolls and the Pro-Teens.{{Cite news |last=Paguaga |first=Pete |date=October 6, 2016 |title=Q&A: Musician Rob Hyman talks about the special Meriden's Music Men concert |work=Record-Journal |url=https://www.myrecordjournal.com/Archive/2016/10/MerHymanPodcast-RJ-100616 |access-date=October 23, 2023}}

While attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Hyman met future bandmate and composing partner Eric Bazilian and producer Rick Chertoff. In the late 1960s, Hyman and Chertoff, along with local singer David Kagan formed a band called Wax, who recorded an album in the early 1970s. They also released two albums under the group name of Baby Grand in the mid 1970's with Chertoff as the producer.[http://www.rockmymonkey.com/news/2010/12/5/wax-the-unknown-supergroup-is-melted-once-again.html Information on Wax @rockmymonkey.com] Retrieved 2011-05-02. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310092627/http://www.rockmymonkey.com/news/2010/12/5/wax-the-unknown-supergroup-is-melted-once-again.html |date=2012-03-10 }}{{Cite news |last=Hiltbrand |first=David |date=February 5, 2008 |title=Hooters "Time" again |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/20080205_Hooters_Time_again.html |access-date=October 23, 2023}}

The Hooters

Hyman and Eric Bazilian formed The Hooters in 1980.{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=620}} The band played its first show on July 4 of that year. They took the band's name from a nickname for the melodica,{{cite book|title=What's in a Name?: The Book of Bands|author=John Darling|year=2000|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sIUs9GwfMVIC&q=hooters+the+band+name+came+about&pg=PT31|publisher=Writers Club Press|isbn=978-0-595-09629-9}} a type of keyboard harmonica. The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid-1980s due to heavy radio airplay and MTV rotation of several songs, including "All You Zombies", "Day by Day", "And We Danced" and "Where Do the Children Go".

The band played at the Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia in 1985,{{Cite web|url=https://www.phillymag.com/news/2020/07/10/live-aid-history/|title=Live Aid in Philadelphia: An Oral History of that Crazy Day at JFK Stadium|date=10 July 2020 }} at A Conspiracy of Hope, a benefit concert on behalf of Amnesty International, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/16/arts/amnesty-concert-in-jersey.html|title=AMNESTY CONCERT IN JERSEY|first1=Jon|last1=Pareles|newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 16, 1986}} and at The Wall Concert in Berlin in 1990.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/phillygossip/Roger_Waters_loves_Hooters.html|title=Roger Waters loves Hooters|first=Dan|last=Gross|website=Inquirer.com|date=10 November 2010 }}

In 1995, The Hooters went on hiatus,{{Cite web|url=https://www.pottsmerc.com/news/the-hooters-celebrate-their-30th-anniversary/article_702f5cee-9ffa-5d6f-95f0-93f22bceaefb.html|title=The Hooters celebrate their 30th anniversary|work=The Mercury |last=Nagy |first=Rob |date=November 24, 2010}} although Hyman and Bazilian would continue to collaborate on musical projects for other artists. Hyman reunited with The Hooters on headlining European summer tours in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

File:Rob Hyman.jpg in 2007]]

On May 11, 2004, The Hooters were presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Music Awards.{{cite news |url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/7237/music-live-music |title=Live Music |newspaper=Philadelphia Weekly |date=May 5, 2004 |access-date=May 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015020112/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/7237/music--live-music |archive-date=October 15, 2008 }}

Other musical projects

In 1983, Hyman and Cyndi Lauper wrote and sang the Billboard number one hit "Time After Time," which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Song of the Year in 1985.{{Cite news |last=Myers |first=Marc |date=December 1, 2015 |title=How Cyndi Lauper Wrote Her First No. 1 Hit, 'Time After Time' |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-cyndi-lauper-wrote-her-first-no-1-hit-time-after-time-1448985798}}{{Cite news |last=Condran |first=Ed |date=October 13, 2023 |title=Cyndi Lauper is so unusual |work=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/oct/13/cyndi-lauper-is-so-unusual/}} Hyman has collaborated with Dar Williams on The Beauty of the Rain and My Better Self (2002 and 2005),{{Cite news |last=Blauser |first=Brian |date=September 24, 2012 |title=Dar Williams On Mountain Stage |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/03/04/161690823/dar-williams-on-mountain-stage/}} and with Bette Midler.{{Cite news |last=Willistein |first=Paul |date=August 19, 2016 |title=The Hooters Rob Hyman reflects on Philadelphia rock band with Lehigh Valley roots |work=Lehigh Valley Press News|url=https://www.lvpnews.com/20160819/the-hooters-rob-hyman-reflects-on-philadelphia-rock-band-with-lehigh-valley/}}

Recognition

On November 17, 2000, Hyman was inducted into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts.{{cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiamusicalliance.org/walk_names.htm#h|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727173419/http://www.philadelphiamusicalliance.org/walk_names.htm |archive-date=2011-07-27 |url-status=dead|title=Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame|access-date=2015-03-02}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/breaking/20080613_Phila__Walk_of_Fame_comes_back_to_life.html|title=Phila. Walk of Fame comes back to life|first=Michael |last=Klein|website=Inquirer.com|date=13 June 2008 }}