Biography
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Born
9 November 1946
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Born In
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
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Died
29 June 2020 (aged 73)
Benny Mardones (born Ruben Armand Mardones in Cleveland, Ohio, on 9 November 1946; died 29 June 2020) was an American pop singer and songwriter known for his hit single "Into the Night," which hit the Top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart twice, in 1980 and again in 1989.
The story behind "Into the Night" charting twice is this: 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.
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, Benny 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. Mardones' band is known as the Hurricanes.
Raised in Savage, Maryland, he latterly resided in Southern California. He had one son, Michael, who was born in 1985.
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