Eddie Schwartz

Canadian musician Eddie Schwartz has enjoyed a lengthy and diverse career working across rock, pop, and country as a songwriter and producer as well as releasing his own music. In the early-'80s, the Toronto native recorded the solo albums Schwartz and No Refuge, notching hit singles with songs like "All Our Tomorrows" and "Does a Fool Ever Learn." After 1984's Public Life, Schwartz shifted his career focus to songwriting; he had already scored a big hit in 1980 writing Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and artists like Joe Cocker and America had found success covering his songs. After writing Paul Carrack's 1987 hit "Don't Shed a Tear," he was asked to co-produce the Doobie Brothers' 1989 reunion album Cycles which yielded a minor hit in the Schwartz co-write "The Doctor." Over the coming years he continued to write and produce, branching out into country music with artists like Martina McBride and Rascal Flatts. He released another independent solo album, Tour de Schwartz, in 1995 and in the 21st century went on to become an activist for creators' rights, helming organizations like the International Council of Music Creators and Music Creators North America.Born and raised in Toronto, Schwartz got his start as a guitarist, playing in singer Charity Brown's band before landing a solo contract of his own in 1979. He debuted with 1980's Schwartz, immediately landing a Canadian hit with his song "Does a Fool Ever Learn." That same year, American singer Pat Benatar scored a major hit with the Schwartz-penned "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." His next two albums, 1981's No Refuge and 1984's Public Life, were minor successes that yielded charting hits like "All Our Tomorrows" and "Special Girl." Although he continued to pursue a solo career as a recording artist, the quality of his songs often resulted in other acts covering his music. No Refuge in particular became a source of material for artists like Mickey Thomas, Honeymoon Suite, and Joe Cocker. By the late-'80s, Schwartz mostly abandoned his recording career and actively pursued jobs writing and producing for others. Paul Carrack scored his first big solo hit with Schwartz's dynamic "Don't Shed a Tear" in 1987. Two years later he was hired by the Doobie Brothers to co-produce their reunion album, Cycles and co-write its single "The Doctor."In 1995, Schwartz briefly revived his solo career with Tour de Schwartz which wasn't distributed outside of Canada. Over the coming years he continued to write and produce, branching out into country music with artists like Martina McBride and Rascal Flatts. He also became very active as an advocate for songwriters' rights and served at various points as president of the organizations SOCAN, the Songwriters Association of Canada, the International Council of Music Creators, and Music Creators North America. Schwartz was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. In the early 2020s, Schwartz responded to increasing interest in his back catalog by writing new solo material, beginning with the single "Outbound Train."
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