Rex Smith, born Rex Smith on September 19, 1955, in Jacksonville, Florida, is an American actor and singer. He gained initial recognition as a teen idol during the late 1970s, frequently appearing in magazines such as 16 magazine and Tiger Beat. His music career began with his debut album Rex, released in 1976. Rex Smith achieved significant success with "You Take My Breath Away", a song inspired by the telefilm Sooner or Later, which reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979. This track was featured on his album of the same name, Sooner or Later. The song became a staple on American FM radio stations playing soft rock and pop rock. Rex Smith continued to release albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including Forever (1980), Everlasting Love (1982), and Camouflage (1983) while also participating in the soundtrack of the Broadway productions Sunset Boulevard (1995), The Human Comedy (1997), and The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore! (1998). Simultaneously, he also made a name for himself as an actor, with notable roles in television series such as Street Hawk and films like The Pirates of Penzance. He also appeared on Broadway, winning the Theatre World Award for his role in The Pirates of Penzance in 1981. His following studio album, Simply...Rex, was released in 2000.
