Singer
Rex Smith came to the fame as the heartthrob lead of the 1979 NBC-TV movie Sooner or Later. His same-named LP is basically a soundtrack album featuring the pop/rock songs he performed in the movie. The Bobby Hart/Stephen Lawrence ballad "You Take My Breath Away" was issued as a single. It went gold, reaching number ten on the pop charts in the summer of 1979. It can be found on Rhino's Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 22. Other highlights were "Better Than It's Ever Been Before," "Simply Jessie," and "Never Gonna Give You Up."
Smith with
Rachel Sweet had a 1981 Top 32 pop hit with a duet cover of the
Buzz Cason/Mac Gayden song "Everlasting Love" (Soft Love, Vol. 5,Hot Duets). After hosting a season of Solid Gold with
Marilyn McCoo,
Smith returned to Broadway (The Pirates of Penzance [Original Broadway Cast] [CD]). ~ Ed Hogan