Believe It Or Not…
Joey Scarbury (born June 7, 1955) is an adult contemporary singer who had a hit song, “Theme From Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not),” in 1981.
Growing up in Thousand Oaks, California, Scarbury was continually encouraged in his ambition to sing by his mother. At the age of 14, after being spotted by songwriter Jimmy Webb’s father, he was signed to a recording contract, and seemed to be destined for stardom. Scarbury’s first single, “She Never Smiles Anymore,” flopped, and he was soon without a label.
Scarbury, undaunted by what happened, stayed in music up through the 1970s singing backup for artists like Loretta Lynn, and occasionally recording his material. Although he had a minor chart single with “Mixed Up Guy” in 1971, real chart success eluded him for the rest of the decade. This was to change when he started working for producer and composer Mike Post. Post was hired along with Stephen Geyer to write the theme song for a new series dubbed The Greatest American Hero, about a high school teacher who comes into possession of a superhero outfit, and Scarbury was chosen to record it. An extended version of the song (3:15 compared to the television theme’s minute-long length), released by Elektra Records, shot up to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Scarbury could not follow it up however, and after charting at #49 with the single “When She Dances,” Scarbury disappeared from the charts. Scarbury went on to work with Post again in the mid-80s to record the song “Back to Back,” for the television series Hardcastle and McCormick and “Flashbeagle” for the Peanuts special of the same name.
Discography
America´s Greatest Hero
Elektra Entertainment Group 2005
Tracks: The Theme From The Greatest American Hero (Believe It Or Not), Love Me Like The Last Time, Stolen Night, There Is A River, Everything But Love, Take This Heart Of Mine, When She Dances, That Little Bit Of Us, Some Of My Old Friends & Down The Backstairs (Of My Life).
Musicians on the America´s Greatest Hero album: Joey Scarbury, Mike Baird, Neil Stubenhaus, Leland Sklar, John Goux, Larry Carlton, Stephen Geyer, Larry Muhoberac, Ian Underwood, Todd Cochran, Jeff Gerson, Linda Dillard, Herb Pedersen & Laura Mumford.
America´s Greatest Hero
Elektra Records 2001
Tracks: The Theme From The Greatest American Hero (Believe It Or Not), Love Me Like The Last Time, Stolen Night, There Is A River, Everything But Love, Take This Heart Of Mine, When She Dances, That Little Bit Of Us, Some Of My Old Friends & Down The Backstairs (Of My Life).
Musicians on the America´s Greatest Hero album: Joey Scarbury, Mike Baird, Neil Stubenhaus, Leland Sklar, John Goux, Larry Carlton, Stephen Geyer, Larry Muhoberac, Ian Underwood, Todd Cochran, Jeff Gerson, Linda Dillard, Herb Pedersen & Laura Mumfor.
America´s Greatest Hero
Elektra Records 1981
Tracks: The Theme From The Greatest American Hero (Believe It Or Not), Love Me Like The Last Time, Stolen Night, There Is A River, Everything But Love, Take This Heart Of Mine, When She Dances, That Little Bit Of Us, Some Of My Old Friends & Down The Backstairs (Of My Life).
Musicians on the America´s Greatest Hero album: Joey Scarbury, Mike Baird, Neil Stubenhaus, Leland Sklar, John Goux, Larry Carlton, Stephen Geyer, Larry Muhoberac, Ian Underwood, Todd Cochran, Jeff Gerson, Linda Dillard, Herb Pedersen & Laura Mumford.