Eddie Holman

Holman was born in Norfolk, Virginia on June 3, 1946. He was raised in New York City, New York. In Norfolk, he performed at church and various talent shows. At the age of 8, he and his mother moved to New York City.[1] His mother, noticing that he loved to sing even as early as the age of 2, introduced him to public performance, as well as the piano and the guitar, where he quickly revealed a natural aptitude. His abilities, however, were confined mostly to church and family gatherings, such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church. At age 8, his mother took him to the Apollo Theater in Upper Manhattan. At age 10, Holman stepped onto the stage on Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater, New York and showed his smooth tenor voice, winning first prize. His victory at the Apollo began to create many other opportunities and he was soon performing at theaters on Broadway and even at Carnegie Hall. He was a regular performer on NBC's The Children's Hour.[1]

Not wanting her son to miss any opportunity, his mother enrolled him at the Victoria School of Music in Harlem. At Victoria, he learned the technical craft of music.

As a teenager, Holman started making records. He moved to Philadelphia with his family. After graduating from high school, he attended Cheyney State University, where he graduated with a degree in music.

In 1962, Holman made his first record "What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You" on Leopard Records.[1] 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" (1966), which reached number 17 on the Billboard chart.[1] 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). Holman finally struck personal gold in 1970 with his ballad "Hey There Lonely Girl" (originally "Hey There Lonely Boy", a top 30 hit recorded in 1963 by Ruby & the Romantics),[2] which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track peaked at number 4 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1974.[3] It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc from the R.I.A.A. in March 1970.[4]

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."[5]

In 1977, Holman 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".[2]

Holman owns his own record label Agape Records[2] and music publishing company Schoochiebug Music Publishing ASCAP.[6] He continues to tour with the Eddie Holman Band. During the summer of 2007, Holman performed weekly for the passengers aboard the Sun Princess cruise ship while it was en route to the inside passage of Alaska.

Holman has an older sister named Margaret and an aunt named Jessie. He claimed his aunt sang back in Norfolk, Virginia at the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Holman described her as a wonderful piano player and choir director, as well as being inspirational in helping him.

Holman married his wife Sheila on October 29, 1966; together, they have three children. He has 9 grandchildren. He is an ordained Baptist minister who uses his musical talents both as a tool of entertainment and his faith. 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."[7]

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.

• I Love You (1969)
• A Night to Remember (1977)
• United (1985)
• Love Story (2007)

Compilations:

• Eddie Holman and The Larks – Sweet Memories (1989)
• Eddie Holman and The Larks – Eddie's My Name (1993)
• This Can't Be True (2000)
• Hey There Lonely Girl (2014)

• List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States

• Official website