About
Before Eddie Mahoney became Eddie Money, he was a New York City cop with dreams bigger than the NYPD. Trading his badge for a guitar and a one-way ticket to the Bay Area in the mid-1970s, he reinvented himself as a blue-collar rock singer with a raspy, soulful voice and a knack for massive hooks. Signed to Columbia Records after catching the attention of promoter Bill Graham, Money released his self-titled debut in 1977, which immediately announced him as a serious player with the back-to-back hits Baby Hold On and Two Tickets to Paradise. Those two tracks alone secured his rock legacy.
Money's musical sweet spot sat squarely in the arena rock and heartland rock territory, blending punchy guitar riffs with radio-friendly melodies that drew comparisons to Springsteen without ever quite sitting in his shadow. His 1986 comeback album Can't Hold Back delivered his biggest hit, Take Me Home Tonight, featuring Ronnie Spector, which became an era-defining MTV staple. He never fronted a traditional band as a collective unit, instead working with rotating session players and collaborators throughout his career.
Money enjoyed a genuine second act in later years, starring in the reality show Real Money with his family and continuing to tour relentlessly. His death in September 2019 following a cancer diagnosis hit classic rock fans hard. He was never the critics' darling, but for anyone who grew up with rock radio in the late seventies and eighties, Eddie Money was absolutely essential.
