| Eddie Holman | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 3, 1946 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul, gospel, pop |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Labels | Agape Records ABC Records |
| Website | http://www.eddieholman.com/ |
Eddie Holman (born June 3, 1946) is an American singer and recording artist. He is best known for his 1970 hit song "Hey There Lonely Girl".
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His specialty ranges from R&B and pop to gospel. Although born in Norfolk, Virginia, Holman later grew up in New York. His mother, noticing that he loved to sing, even as early as the age of two, introduced him to the piano and the guitar, where he quickly revealed a natural aptitude. His abilities, however, were confined mostly to church and family gatherings until 1956. It was then, at the age of ten, that Little Eddie Holman stepped onto the stage on Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater and showed his smooth tenor voice. His victory at the Apollo began to open many other doors for the young prodigy. Soon, Holman was performing at theaters on Broadway and even at Carnegie Hall. Not wanting her son to miss any opportunity, his mother was able to get him enrolled at the Victoria School of Music in Harlem. At Victoria, he learned the technical craft of music and began to blossom. In 1962, Holman made his first record.
As a teenager, Holman and his family moved to Philadelphia. After graduating from high school, he attended Cheyney State University where he graduated with a degree in music. It was in the Philadelphia soul scene that he began to develop his trademark style. While still in college, he recorded his first hit record, "This Can't Be True" (1965). Other hits began to follow: "Am I A Loser From The Start" (1966), "I Love You" (1969), "Don't Stop Now" (1970), and "Cathy Called" (1970). After singing with the Philadelphia groups The Delfonics and The Stylistics, Holman finally struck personal gold in 1970 with his ballad, "Hey There Lonely Girl" (originally "Hey There Lonely Boy" recorded in 1963 by Ruby and the Romantics), which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc from the R.I.A.A. in March 1970.[1] The song inspired Smokey Robinson to dub Holman, "The man with the voice of an angel."
British journalist Tony Cummings once wrote, "Eddie Holman's voice, an astonishing precision instrument which can leap octaves with the speed of mercury and bend notes into shapes unimagined by lesser singers, has assured its possessor a place in soul history."
In 1977, Eddie had a brief resurgence in popularity with his last two hit singles, "This Will Be A Night To Remember" and "You Make My Life Complete".
Eddie Holman and his wife Sheila have three children. He is an ordained Baptist minister who uses his musical talents both as a tool of entertainment and as a medium to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. He believes that his talent is a gift from God and therefore must be used to glorify his Maker. Furthermore, it is his belief "that those who are blessed with creative talent have a responsibility to encourage personal accountability and to set the best example possible because of the powerful influence that they have on the lives of so many young ones." [quoted from eddieholman.com]
Today, Holman owns his own record label (Agape Records) and music publishing company (Schoochiebug Music Publishing). He also continues to tour with the Eddie Holman Band. He still resides in Philadelphia, and spends time as a local community volunteer helping reach out to those less fortunate. He also works within the Philadelphia School System encouraging young people to become involved in the performing arts. During the summer of 2007, Holman performed weekly for the passengers abroad the MS Sun Princess cruise ship while it was en route to the inside passage of Alaska.