June 26: Singer Patty Smyth - Scandal- is 56-years-old today.

 

 

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Smith grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood Gerritsen Beach. She joined the group Scandal as vocalist in 1981, and the band released a self-titled debut album the next year. Featuring the song "Goodbye to You,” it went on to become Columbia Records' biggest selling EP.

In 1984, they put out their follow-up, The Warrior. The album peaked at No. 17 on the charts, and the first song off the release, also titled "The Warrior,” was a top-ten smash. However, despite their success, internal strife within the group led to their breakup shortly afterwards.

Following the end of Scandal, Smyth was asked by friend Eddie Van Halen to join the band Van Halen to replace David Lee Roth as lead singer. She declined. She guest-appeared on The Hooters 1985 album Nervous Night on the song "Where Do the Children Go" as an accompanying vocalist.

Smyth released her first solo album, Never Enough, in 1987. It contained her version of the Tom Waits song "Downtown Train," which Rod Stewart would make a hit several years later.

She put out another solo effort in 1992, the self-titled Patty Smyth which produced the hit record via a duet with Don Henley of The Eagles; "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" peaked at number 2 in the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold for sales of 500,000. The album, also certified gold, featured an additional US Top 40 hit with "No Mistakes" and also spawned the minor hit "I Should Be Laughing.” Smyth had previously recorded with Henley as a backing singer on several songs on his albums Building The Perfect Beast and The End of the Innocence.

Smyth subsequently co-wrote the 1994 song "Look What Love Has Done,” nominated for a Grammy and an Academy Award after its inclusion in the soundtrack to the feature film Junior. She also wrote the movie theme tune, "Wish I Were You,” to the 1998 feature film Armageddon.

In 2004, VH1 recruited Smyth and the surviving members of Scandal for a Bands Reunited episode, resulting in a small reunion tour of concerts on the United States East Coast in 2005. The next year, Columbia/Legacy released a new Scandal compilation CD as part of the We Are The 80's series. The compilation contained three unreleased tracks from the 1982 recording sessions ("Grow So Wise,” "If You Love Me,” "I'm Here Tonight") as well as "All My Life,” previously available on the flip side of "Goodbye To You.”

They debuted their first single as a band ("Hard For You To Love Me,” also referred to as "Make It Hard") in over 24 years in January 2009.

Patty has been married to tennis star, John McEnroe since 1997.

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For more about Patty and Scandal, visit their Website at-

http://www.pattysmythandscandal.com/

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