Singing and Stage Career
Wagner has recorded five albums. In 1985, he topped the Billboard charts with the ballad "All I Need". The single reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
His albums include:
- 1984: All I Need #44 Peak Billboard 200
- 1985: Lighting Up the Night #150 / Peak Billboard 200
- 1987: Don't Give Up Your Day Job #151 Peak Billboard 200
- 1993: Alone in the Crowd
- 2005: Dancing in the Moonlight
- 2012: Will The Rain Fall Down (Single)
He has had the following Hot 100 singles:
- 1984: "All I Need" #2 US (2 weeks) behind Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' - January 12, 1985 (#1 AC - 2 weeks)
- 1985: "Lady of My Heart" #76 US - Jun 15, 1985
- 1985: "Too Young" #52 US - Dec 7, 1985 (#15 US Hot Adult Contemporary)
- 1986: "Love Can Take Us All The Way" - #15 US Hot Adult Contemporary - April 26, 1986
- 1987: "Weatherman Says" #67 US - May 30, 1987
Although Wagner had been playing the guitar since he was 14, his initial audition for the role of "Frisco Jones" on General Hospital with producer Gloria Monty did not include any singing. Wagner had five auditions with ABC before ultimately winning the role of "Frisco Jones". His final audition in 1983 included performing the Kenny Loggins song "Wait a Little While." ABC musical honcho Kelli Ross hooked Wagner up with her good friend in legendary producer Quincy Jones who oversaw his initial 5 song EP "All I Need". Eventually, they would release a full ten song LP of "All I Need" once the song "All I Need" began to rise the charts. Quincy Jones protégés Glen Ballard and Clif Magness produced Wagner's first two albums on Qwest Records/Warner Brothers. Wagner's singing talents led him to appearances on American Bandstand, Solid Gold, Soul Train and The Merv Griffin Show.
Eventually, his musical theater talent led to the title role(s) in a Broadway run of Jekyll & Hyde, making him the first celebrity casting. Wagner has stated this was "a role of a lifetime" and performing the dual characters on Broadway was his most fulfilling professional experience. Wagner says "the role I had the most fun playing, TV-wise, would be Dr. Peter Burns (Melrose Place). He was sort of an evil character who could redeem himself. Theatrically, it was when I played Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway." He also appeared in a national theatre tour in 1987 in the role of Tony in West Side Story, and a national tour of Grease in 1988.
While he toured as a rock/pop performer in concert consistently from 1985–1988, Wagner did not perform in the 1990s except for an occasional benefit appearance. In 2005, Wagner resumed performing in concert sporadically. His more recent concerts have included a diverse blend of songs from his own catalog, cover songs from artists such as Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham, and Paul McCartney, and originals.
In 2012, Wagner released his first new music in several years "Will The Rain Fall Down" as a downloadable single on iTunes. He also performed the song acoustically on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Read more about this topic: Jack Wagner (actor)
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