Richard Page (musician)
The melodic backbone of Mr. Mister, whose voice and bass lines defined 80s radio hits and inspired a generation of musicians.
Born 1953 (age 73)·Musical artist·Birthday: May 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Richard Page is the quintessential musician's musician, a figure whose work you know even if his name isn't immediately on your lips. As the lead vocalist, bassist, and primary songwriter for Mr. Mister, he co-piloted the band to stratospheric mid-80s success with timeless soft-rock anthems like 'Broken Wings' and 'Kyrie'. His warm, expressive baritone and knack for soaring melodies became the signature sound of an era. But his influence runs deeper than the charts. Long before Mr. Mister, he was part of the session musician collective Pages, and his songwriting prowess has been sought by artists ranging from Madonna to *NSYNC. A steadfast artist who values craft over celebrity, Page's career is a testament to the enduring power of a well-written song and a perfectly delivered vocal.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Richard was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Richard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Richard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and sang the number-one hits 'Broken Wings' and 'Kyrie' with the band Mr. Mister.
- The Mr. Mister album 'Welcome to the Real World' reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart in 1985.
- Wrote the song 'I'll Never Break Your Heart' for the Backstreet Boys, which appears on their multi-platinum debut album.
- His song 'In The House Of Stone And Light' as a solo artist became an adult contemporary radio hit in the 1990s.
Did You Know?
He is the older brother of singer John Lang, who co-wrote several Mr. Mister hits and had his own solo success.
Page was initially considered to replace Michael McDonald in The Doobie Brothers in the early 1980s.
He provided backing vocals on multiple tracks for Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' album.
The band name 'Mr. Mister' was inspired by the title of an early, unreleased song by Page's previous band, Pages.
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