Benny Mardones

by Heather Phares Singer/songwriter and Maryland native Benny Mardones made a huge splash with his 80s hit Into the Night. The song made the Top Ten twice, a first for a solo artist. Originally from the 1980 album Never Run, Never Hide, the song was also included on his self-titled 1989 release. Though his subsequent releases like 1996s Most Requested Songs and 1999s Angel didnt have quite the same chart impact as his breakthrough single, Mardones earned a strong, devoted following for his raspy voice and down-to-earth songwriting. Mardones reciprocated this affection, often visiting and performing for terminally ill fans. Indeed, his song Bless a Brand New Angel was written for a young fan who succumbed to cancer; this emotional, spiritual quality imbued Mardoness later work like Angel with a new resonance. In 2002, the singer issued Journey Through Time, a collective of new recordings of originals and covers that were important to him in his career, and intended to be a soundtrack to a film about his life. In 2006, after nearly a seven-year break from new material, Lets Hear It for Love was released on Warrior Records.