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bio
ROBERT HAZARD
THE SEVENTH LAKE
I was born
in Philadelphia in 1948. My father was an opera singer with the
Philadelphia Opera Company. Obviously, I didn�t follow in his footsteps,
but did learn a bit about music appreciation.
I started
singing and writing songs about about age 10. I didn�t really play
guitar till much later. In my teens I would audition at coffee houses
like �The Second of Autumn� and �The Edge� in the Philadelphia area. I
never got a job, but learned about acoustic music by hanging out at
these places listening to Eric Andersen, Chris Smither, Jimmy Webb, and
other great song writers and poet guitar players.
I married
young and made a beautiful daughter, �Corrina,� after the old blues
tune. She gives me nothing but trouble and is the inspiration for lots
of songs, especially �Pretty Little Thing.,� from my new CD, THE
SEVENTH LAKE.
In the
late �70s, I became enraptured with the punk movement � Dead Boys,
Ramones, Pistols, Clash, etc., and formed a band, Robert Hazard and
the Heroes. We played every bar in the Philadelphia area. We were
either working or rehearsing seven nights a week for two years.
By 1981,
the band had become well-known in the area. I had written some strong
material and the band was getting tight. My generous Uncle Vaughn loaned
me $12,000 to make a five-song EP which we recorded at Sigma Sound. By
1982, the self-produced EP had sold over 50,000 copies locally.
One night,
we were playing a little joint called J.C. Dobbs on South Street. Kurt
Loder was in town to review the opening of a world tour by another band
called the Rolling Stones, who were playing at JFK Stadium that same
night. After the Stones concert, Kurt stopped into Dobbs for a beer. I
stayed up talking with him till five o�clock in the morning. The next
month, there was a two-page spread in Rolling Stone Magazine,
pictures and all, raving about the band. Soon after that, we were signed
to RCA Records.
RCA did a
national release of the EP featuring the song �Escalator of Life,�
getting us into the 50�s on the Billboard chart. We played everywhere
from clubs to concert arenas, including all the music television shows
like Bandstand and Solid Gold. We toured with U2 and the
Motels and on our own for about a year. Then we made the Wing of Fire
full length album. �Escalator of Life� and �Change Reaction� were
featured on MTV.
Back in
�79, I had written a song, �Girls Just Want to Have Fun.� In 1984, Cyndi
Lauper had a big hit with it. The song continues to live on classic rock
radio and on TV commercials like the Carnival Cruise Line ads.
In more
recent years, I formed a country band called �The Hombres� and made a
record called Howl, produced by Ian Cross (Janet Jackson, Rickie
Lee Jones). I played a string of shows opening for �Bob Dylan,� which
were magical for me. But my favorite shows were the stripped-down
acoustic concerts I did with my buddy Michael Pilla. I thought these
were the most rewarding and the most appreciated by my audience.
My music
and my life have come full circle. I am married again with two wonderful
sons. We live in Vero Beach, Florida in the winter and in the Adirondack
Mountains in the summer. I think I am writing the best songs I ever have
and feel satisfied with the poetry and stories all their depth and
simplicity. Also once again, I feel that this is music to share with
whoever wants to listen.
THE
SEVENTH LAKE, my current CD, was recorded in Brattleboro,
Vermont and produced by musician extraordinaire Tom �T-Bone� Wolk. We
had a great time making it. I hope you like it.
website
www.roberthazard.com
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