Richard X. Heyman (born 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Heyman is a founding member of the Doughboys.
Heyman was born in 1951 and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey. He started banging on things when he was five, got a full drum kit when he was seven, and was an accomplished drummer by the time he was twelve. He picked up guitar and piano in his teens, which was also when he began writing songs. He was one of the original members of the 60s group, The Doughboys, who are considered to be a legendary New Jersey garage rock band. He would later go solo, in his twenties, following the breakup of the original Doughboys. [1]
Heyman's influences are as varied as Bernstein to The Beatles, Richard Rodgers to the Rascals, and the Blues to The Byrds. [2] He has drummed for such artists as Brian Wilson, Link Wray, Jonathan Richman and the Left Banke's Michael Brown, composer of "Walk Away Renee". [3] He also played keyboards for the legendary Ben E. King and guitar for the lead singer of The Shangri-Las, Mary Weiss. In live performance, Richard leads his own band on guitar and keyboards. [4]
From 2000-2019, Heyman played with the re-united Doughboys as their drummer and contributing songwriter. [1] He and his wife, Nancy, live in Manhattan.
Heyman released his first indie EP, Actual Size, a collection of six of his finest songs recorded on an 8-track Tascam machine in a home studio, in 1987, the same studio in which Richard would subsequently record his album Living Room!!, released in 1988. [5]
As a composer, Heyman is co-writer of "My Love for You" on track 3 of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, The Tears of a Clown (1970). [7] The song also appears on track 4 of Ramsey Lewis' Funky Serenity (1973). [8]
William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief songwriter and producer. He led the group from its 1955 origins, when they were called The Five Chimes, until 1972, when he retired from the group to focus on his role as Motown Records vice president. Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year. He left Motown in 1999.
"Funky Drummer" is a single released by James Brown in 1970. Its drum break, improvised by Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled music recordings.
The Miracles were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups in pop, rock and roll, soul and R&B music history.
The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972.
"The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla Records label subsidiary of Motown, first appearing on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The track was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in July 1970, and it became a #1 hit on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending 12 September 1970. Subsequently, Motown released a partially re-recorded and completely remixed version as a single in the United States as well, where it quickly became a #1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts.
Enuff Z'Nuff is an American rock band from Blue Island, Illinois, founded by singer Donnie Vie and bassist Chip Z'Nuff. The band charted two times on the US Hot 100; "Fly High Michelle" (#47) and "New Thing" (#67).
Robert Edward Rogers was an American musician and tenor singer, best known as a founding member of Motown vocal group the Miracles from 1956 until his death. He was inducted, in 2012, as a member of the Miracles to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to singing, he also contributed to writing some of the Miracles' songs. Rogers is the grandfather of R&B singer Brandi Williams from the R&B girl group Blaque and is a cousin of fellow Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson.
Warren Thomas "Pete" Moore was an American singer-songwriter and record producer, notable as the bass singer for Motown group the Miracles from 1955 onwards, and was one of the group's original members. He is also a 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, and a BMI and ASCAP award-winning songwriter, and was the vocal arranger on all of the group's hits.
"The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. It is a multiple award-winning 1965 hit R&B song originally recorded by their group, The Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-selling original version has been inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame, has been ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America and The National Endowment for the Arts at No. 127 in its list of the "Songs of the Century" – the 365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century, and has been selected by Rolling Stone as No. 50 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", among many other awards. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked The Miracles' original recording of "The Tracks of My Tears" as "The Greatest Motown Song of All Time."
"My Sharona" is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, Get the Knack. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it remained for six weeks, and was number one on Billboard's 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart.
Warm Thoughts is a 1980 album by Smokey Robinson. It features the top 40 hit, "Let Me Be the Clock". The album was arranged by Reginald "Sonny" Burke. This album also featured the semi-autobiographical tune "Wine, Women and Song", which proved to be the closest thing to a Miracles reunion that occurred in the 1980s, with Smokey doing a duet with his then-wife, former Miracle Claudette Robinson, and Miracle Marv Tarplin, with whom he shared songwriting credits, on guitar. The song "Travelin' Thru'" was written by Smokey's real-life sister, Rose Ella Jones, and two songs written by Robinson with fellow Motown artist, Stevie Wonder, and singer, songwriter, and former Starsky and Hutch star, David Soul. This album was a huge success, reaching the Top 20 of The Billboard 200 Pop Album chart, peaking at #14, and the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B Album Chart, peaking at #4.
Marvin Tarplin was an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their biggest hits, including the 1965 Grammy Hall Of Fame-inducted "The Tracks of My Tears". He is also a winner of the BMI Songwriter's Award, and the ASCAP Award Of Merit, and was a 2012 posthumous inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Miracles.
Joseph "Smokey" Johnson Jr. was an American drummer. He was one of the musicians, session players, and songwriters who served as the backbone for New Orleans' output of jazz, funk, blues, soul, and R&B music.
"Here I Go Again" was a 1969 hit single by The Miracles. It was written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore, along with Motown staff songwriters Al Cleveland and Terry "Buzzy" Johnson, a member of the legendary R&B group The Flamingos.
"Do It Baby" is a 1974 single recorded and released by the Motown R&B group The Miracles. The song was taken from the album of the same name, and written by Motown staff songwriters Freddie Perren and Christine Yarian and produced by Perren.
"Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)" is a 1966 R&B song by Motown Records group The Miracles, issued on Motown's Tamla Records subsidiary. Written by Motown staff songwriter Frank Wilson, it was one of only two singles the group released in 1966, taken from their album Away We A Go-Go.
The Doughboys are an American rock band from Plainfield, New Jersey, United States, who were active in the mid-1960s, and re-formed in 2000. They have been active ever since, and have cut three albums of newly recorded material since their reunion.
"Point It Out" is a 1969 recording by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles on that label's Tamla subsidiary. This mid-tempo song was a national Billboard Top 40 Pop hit, reaching #37 on the Hot 100, and was a Top 10 R&B hit was well, reaching #4. It was taken from their album "A Pocket Full Of Miracles", and was written by Miracles members William "Smokey" Robinson and Marv Tarplin, along with Motown staff songwriter Al Cleveland.
We've Come Too Far to End It Now was a 1972 single by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles on its Tamla Label subsidiary (T54220F) and taken from their 1972 album, Flying High Together, the group's final studio album with original lead singer Smokey Robinson. This song charted at #46 on the Billboard Pop Chart, and reached the Top 10 of its R&B chart, peaking at #9.
"Pure Smokey" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released in 1976 on his debut album for Dark Horse Records, Thirty Three & 1/3. The song was the second of Harrison's musical tributes to American soul singer Smokey Robinson, following "Ooh Baby " in 1975. Harrison frequently cited Robinson as one of his favourite vocalists and songwriters, and Robinson's group the Miracles had similarly influenced the Beatles during the 1960s. In the lyrics to "Pure Smokey", Harrison gives thanks for the gift of Robinson's music, while making a statement regarding the importance of expressing appreciation and gratitude, rather than forgetting to do so and later regretting it. The song title came from the name of Robinson's 1974 album Pure Smokey.