Benny Mardones
| Benny Mardones | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ruben Armand Mardones |
| Born |
November 9, 1946 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Blue-eyed soul, soft rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | Polydor, Curb, Warrior |
| Associated acts | Robert Tepper |
Ruben Armand "Benny" Mardones (born November 9, 1946) is an American pop singer and songwriter who is best known for his hit single "Into the Night", which hit the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart twice, in 1980 (#11) and again in 1989 (#20).
Due to the success of "Into the Night," Curb Records signed Mardones and he recorded "Into the Night '89." The track appeared on his self-titled release (known as the "Blue Album" by his fans.) Not long after that, Mardones appeared on a Showtime tribute to Roy Orbison, alongside such luminaries as Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Johnny Cash and k.d. lang. Elvis Presley's band was the house band for the evening. When Mardones came on stage to sing "Running Scared," few people knew his name, but when he finished the song, he received a standing ovation.
Even though his lone hit charted twice, Mardones is still considered a "one-hit wonder." He continues to have a substantial fan following in Syracuse, New York with his band, the Hurricanes. Several of his songs ("Into The Night" and several others) have remained since their original release in rotation on radio station 95X and several other rock music stations in the Central New York area.
Mardones began his career as a songwriter. He has written songs for people like Brenda Lee and Chubby Checker. He used to demo the songs he wrote and Tommy Mottola suggested that he record his own songs. Since that time he has written and recorded over 100 songs.
"Into the Night" is one of the few songs to have charted twice on Billboard, in 1980 and again in 1989. In 1989, KZZP, a radio station in Arizona, ran a segment titled "Where Are They Now?" The most popular question was "Whatever happened to the guy who sang 'Into the Night'?" Scott Shannon, then program director for Pirate Radio in Los Angeles, added "Into the Night" to its playlist. Radio stations across the country followed suit and "Into the Night" was once again a hit. Mardones was 33 years old when the song became a hit for the first time and he still lives quite well on the royalties.
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