Richard Marx and Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon
Richard Marx:
Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, starting with his self-titled debut which went to No. 8 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The album spawned four Top 5 singles, including “Hold on to the Nights” and “Don’t Mean Nothing,” which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. His follow-up, 1989’s Repeat Offender, was even more successful, hitting No. 1 and going quadruple-platinum with two No. 1 singles, “Satisfied” and “Right Here Waiting.” He has since made history as the only male artist whose first seven singles reached the Top 5 on the Billboard charts.
Richard has also written on a No. 1 single in each of the last four decades, an accolade previously only reached by Michael Jackson. He has written with and for numerous artists, including Barbra Streisand, Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, Celine Dion, Chicago, Natalie Cole, Kenny Loggins, Vince Gill, Daughtry, The Tubes, Martina McBride, Lifehouse, NSYNC, Michael Bolton, Vixen, and Josh Groban.
He also went on to earn a 2004 Song of the Year Grammy for co-authoring Luther Vandross’ “Dance with My Father”. Overall, he has scored 14 Number One singles both as a performer and as a songwriter/producer, revealing him as a true multi-talented performer who continues to challenge himself and his fans.
In addition to being a musician, Richard is a committed philanthropist, supporting charitable causes like the American Cancer Society and the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Mercy For Animals, ASPCA, Humane Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the charity closest to Richard’s heart, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, for which his produced events have raised over $4 million for research.
Richard has toured extensively for the past three decades, building a strong fanbase all over the world that only continues to grow. The legacy of his career as a songwriter, singer, and musician, and now author is well established and Richard is happy to continue on his trajectory, wherever it takes him.
Richard lives with his wife, Daisy Fuentes, in Malibu, California.
Matt Scannell:
Matt Scannell is the songwriter and lead singer/guitarist of the band Vertical Horizon. He has written seven hit singles, including “Everything You Want” (which reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and was the most played song of the year 2000), “Best I Ever Had” (which was a Top 10 hit for Vertical Horizon and a Top 10 hit for country singer Gary Allan), “You’re A God” (which reached #4 on the Billboard charts), and “Forever,” “I’m Still Here,” and “We Are,” all of which reached the top twenty. The multi-platinum selling album “Everything You Want” is widely regarded as a seminal work in pop rock music, crossing multiple genres and influencing many bands making music in the new millennium.
His songs have been streamed over 1.5 billion times online.
Matt is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he majored in Psychology and minored in English.