Rupert Holmes

Best known for his 1979 hit single Escape (The Piña Colada Song), Rupert Holmes was brought up in a musical household, his father a US Army officer and bandleader, moving from England to New York when he was just six-years-old. Holmes began his musical career as a session musician, notably recording Jennifer Tomkins with Ron Dante of The Cuff Links. Holmes had his first big hit with Timothy, a song he recorded with The Buoys. In 1974, Holmes' debut solo album Widescreen received recognition from Barbra Steisand who expressed an interest in recording some of his songs. This relationship led to further work for Holmes as he also penned tracks for Streisand's Lazy Afternoon album as well as having his songs featured in the film A Star Is Born. Holmes' fifth album, Partners In Crime, was the release that featured his biggest-selling single Escape (The Piña Colada Song). The single achieved the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canada Adult Contemporary Charts, as well as breaking the top ten in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. After the success of Escape, Holmes tried his hand at other medias including play and screenwriting, his most famous play being The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, for which he earned two Tony Awards. He also composed theme tunes to television programmes and wrote soundtracks and scores for films including Behind The Candelabra.