At a Glance
- Richard Marx releases After Hours, his first album since 2022, packed with live-recorded big band classics.
- The record features original tracks and standards, plus guest spots from Rod Stewart, Kenny G, and Chris Botti.
- Wife Daisy Fuentes co-wrote the tango-flavored “Magic Hour” and serves as Marx’s toughest critic.
- Why it matters: The project redefines Marx’s legacy, shifting him from power-ballad icon to swing-era storyteller.
Richard Marx was sipping martinis in his living room when Frank Sinatra’s 1964 hit “Fly Me to the Moon” sparked a creative detour. Within minutes, the Grammy-winning songwriter slowed the tune to a ballad, worked out fresh chords, and realized a “beautiful love song [was] hidden in this swing song,” he tells News Of Los Angeles. That moment became the catalyst for After Hours, out now and marking Marx’s first full-length release since 2022.
From Epiphany to Album
Instead of cutting tracks in layers, Marx insisted on recording the entire project live in the studio, an approach he calls “scary and intimidating” yet essential to the big band aesthetic. He aimed for a platter “people could put on when they’re cooking or having a drink,” citing Rod Stewart’s Great American Songbook series and Michael Bublé as sonic touchstones. Once he accepted he could “write half the album,” the concept clicked: “I pretended it was 1948 and I was pitching a song to Sinatra.”
Writing Rituals and Co-Writes
Most new material arrived during long hikes near his home. “I believe great melodies hide behind trees,” Marx says. The exception was “Magic Hour,” a tango-tinged original. After humming the melody for weeks without lyrics, he vented on an Australian beach beside Fuentes. She fired off the opening line-“You walked in the door with someone, wasn’t me”-and they finished the lyric over wine at a seaside restaurant. “The best lines are her lines,” Marx admits.
Fuentes doubles as his quality-control panel. “If something doesn’t rock her world, she’ll say, ‘It’s good,’ and I’ll drop it,” Marx explains, labeling the process “the Daisy test.”
Marriage and Milestones
The couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary December 23, crediting constant togetherness for their bond. “I can count on one hand the times we’ve been apart more than two weeks,” Marx notes. Their running joke: “I’m still not sick of you yet.”
Father-Son Dynamics
Marx’s three sons-Brandon, 35, Lucas, 33, and Jesse, 32-often join him for “boys’ night” when he’s in Los Angeles. While all inherited musical talent, two have “benched their ambitions” due to industry pressures. Marx repeats advice his late father, jazz pianist Dick Marx, once gave: “The career that made me successful didn’t exist for the first 30 years of my life,” reminding the next generation that new opportunities can surface anytime.
Spirit in the Studio
Mid-session, Marx felt the presence of his parents-big band singer Ruth and Dick-who died in 2021 and 1997 respectively. “I wanted to open my eyes and see them in the control room,” he says, convinced his dad would’ve demanded arranging duties “or else he would’ve never spoken to me again.”
Star-Studded Guests
John Stamos neighbors Marx and lobbied to play congas after hearing a rough mix of “Summer Wind.” The actor laid down percussion on four songs in 90 minutes. Elsewhere, Chris Botti delivers a trumpet solo, Kenny G contributes saxophone and “the dirtiest jokes,” and Rod Stewart duets on “Young at Heart.” The Stewart pairing crystallized after a chance meeting in an Australian restaurant three years ago and a birthday-pub promise in London: “We should do a song together.” Marx will support Stewart on tour this year, calling the collaboration “a privilege.”
Embracing the Balladeer Label
Early in his career Marx bristled at being “pigeonholed” as a ballad singer. “I considered myself a rock guy,” he says. Age shifted the perspective: “Who cares? My life is great.” Seeing 8-year-olds play “Right Here Waiting” on TikTok-“a song almost 40 years old”-he now views the tag as “a privilege.”
Key Takeaways
- After Hours blends self-penned swing tunes with reimagined standards, all cut live to tape.
- Daisy Fuentes co-wrote “Magic Hour” and vets every track for emotional impact.
- Guest list spans Stamos, Botti, Kenny G, and hero Rod Stewart.
- Marx credits parental inspiration and tight family ties for the album’s emotional core.
