Robert Tepper

Hailing from Bayonne, NJ, Robert Tepper began his career as a staff writer in New York City, eventually uniting with singer Benny Mardones, writing, and playing bass. With Mardones, Tepper co-wrote the inescapable “Into the Night,” which not only hit number 11 and earned a Grammy nomination on its initial release in 1980, but re-charted again nearly a decade later. In 1985, Tepper moved to Los Angeles, signing a record deal with Scott Brothers. When Sylvester Stallone heard “There’s No Easy Way Out,” he chose to use it in the third sequel to his movie Rocky. The song was included on the Rocky IV soundtrack and with the movie, become one of the year’s biggest hits and was issued as a single, climbing into the Top 30 in early 1986. It proceeded Tepper’s debut, No Easy Way Out, but failed to retain the public’s interest. One more single, “Don’t Walk Away,” made a meager showing, stalling in the lower reaches of the Hot 100. Modern Madness came with no notice two years later, followed by Tepper separating from the label in protracted legal proceedings. He continued to write, although not matching his earlier successes, and spent time in Nashville. In 1996, Tepper culled together songs from the previous several years, issuing them as the set No Rest for the Wounded Heart. ~ Tom Demalon