The Rupert Holmes Songbook: Piano/Vocal/Guitar

by Rupert Holmes

Known for his No. 1 hit "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)," the Top Ten song "Him," and his Tony Award(R) winning musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Rupert Holmes has written for other performers as well, including Dolly Parton, Barry Manilow, the Partridge Family, and, famously and prolifically, Barbra Streisand. He's also a playwright---Holmes won two Tony Awards for his musical Drood; a TV writer---he penned four seasons of AMC's first original show, Remember WENN, plus all of its music; and novelist (Where the Truth Lies).

This collection captures the very best of Rupert Holmes's musical output in piano/vocal/guitar arrangements, and also features appreciations and quotes about his talent by stars he has collaborated with, among others.

Titles: Brass Knuckles * Christmas Is Waiting * Echo Valley 2-6809 * Escape (The Pina Colada Song) * Everything * Him * I Don't Need You * I Knew You When * The Last of the Romantics * Letters That Cross in the Mail * A Lullaby for Midnight * Lullaby for Myself * Moonfall * Nearsighted * The Old School * The People That You Never Get to Love * Queen Bee * Remember WENN (Theme) * Speechless * Studio Musician * Terminal * Timothy * Touch and Go * Who, What, When, Where, Why * Widescreen * You Got It All (Over Him) * You Make It Christmas.

152 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2016

About the author

Rupert Holmes was born on February 24, 1947, in Northwich, Cheshire, England. Soon after, he ventured forth to America (New York) with his British mum and Air Force dad. After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Mr. Holmes delved into the art of melodious sound. A successful piano player for both the Cuff Links and the Buoys, with whom he had his first international hit, "Timothy," in 1971, Rupert also wrote and arranged songs for Gene Pitney, The Platters, The Drifters and the Partridge Family.

With the new millennium, Holmes added novel writing to his repertoire. His critically-acclaimed mystery, Where the Truth Lies, was a Booklist Top Ten Debut Novel; his second, Swing, was a San Francisco Chronicle Top Ten Best Seller, called “imaginative, smart, sophisticated and impressively elaborate” by Janet Maslin of the New York Times. His short stories have been anthologized in such prestigious collections as Best American Mystery Stories, On a Raven’s Wing, A Merry Band of Murderers and Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop. He was also commissioned by The New York Times to write the Arts and Leisure tribute celebrating the one hundredth birthday of Irving Berlin.