Robert Tepper

All Music Guide:

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.

Wikipedia:

Robert Tepper (born 8 October 1953) is an American singer, best known for his hit song "No Easy Way Out" from the Rocky IV motion picture soundtrack.

Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, Tepper moved to New York where he became a staff writer. He paired up with fellow singer Benny Mardones, and together they wrote Mardones' hit ballad "Into the Night," which earned them a Grammy Awards nomination. Tepper worked with Mardones on writing the latter's follow-up album Too Much to Lose in 1981.

In 1985, Tepper signed with Scotti Brothers and moved to Los Angeles. Actor/director Sylvester Stallone was taken with Tepper's song "No Easy Way Out," which subsequently led to its inclusion in the movie Rocky IV. "No Easy Way Out" climbed into the Top 40, reaching #22 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1986, and momentarily putting Tepper in the public eye. Several European labels, including Ministry of Sound, released "No Easy Way Out" with their own dance versions, and the hard rock group Bullet For My Valentine also recorded the song in 2008. Tepper released two solo albums for Scotti Bros. Records, but both albums received little promotion from the label. In 1986, one year after Rocky IV, another song from Tepper's debut album (titled No Easy Way Out) called "Angel of the City" became the main song of Stallone´s film Cobra. Also in 1986, he co-wrote the single "Le Bel Age" for Pat Benatar, which peaked at #54 on the Billboard charts. He went on to join the classic hard rock group Iron Butterfly for a few years. His third solo album No Rest For The Wounded Heart was released exclusively in Europe in 1996 on the MTM Music label.

In 2009, Sony/BMG re-released his first two albums digitally.

In recent years, he ventured into writing music for television and film, and collaborated on a musical. In 2012, he released his fourth solo album titled New Life Story. The music is a departure from the big rock sound of the 1980s and has been described as "acoustic, singer/songwriter with an electric tinge." Tepper currently resides with his wife and 6 children in Dover, Delaware.