Huey Lewis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Huey Lewis
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Lewis performing with Huey Lewis and the News in 2013
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Hugh Anthony Cregg III
July 5, 1950 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Cornell University |
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| Years active | 1967–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Sidney Conroy
(m. 1983; div. 1989) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Hugh Cregg (grandfather) |
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Hugh Anthony Cregg III (born July 5, 1950), known as Huey Lewis, is an American actor and former singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and harmonica player for his band, Huey Lewis and the News. He also wrote or helped write many of their songs.
The band is famous for their best-selling album Sports. They also contributed to the soundtrack of the 1985 movie Back to the Future. Huey Lewis stopped singing in 2018 because of hearing loss. Before Huey Lewis and the News, he played with the band Clover from 1972 to 1979.
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Growing Up
Huey Lewis was born in New York City. His father was from Boston, and his mother was from Warsaw, Poland. He grew up in Marin County, California. He went to elementary and junior high school there.
When he was 13, his parents divorced. He later attended a prep school in New Jersey. He was a great baseball player and got a perfect score on the math part of the SAT test. After high school, he went to Cornell University in New York.
His mother was friends with the manager of the band Grateful Dead. Huey Lewis also said that his stepfather, Lew Welch, inspired him when he was a teenager.
Travels and Music Discovery
Lewis once shared how he hitchhiked across the country to New York City. He learned to play the harmonica while waiting for rides. He even traveled to Europe by stowing away on a plane.
In Europe, he visited places like Aberdeen, Scotland, where locals helped him when he had no money. In Madrid, Spain, he became a skilled blues harmonica player. He earned money by playing music on the streets. This money helped him buy a plane ticket back to the U.S.
When he returned, he started studying engineering at Cornell University. But he soon became more interested in music. He joined a band called Slippery Elm. In 1969, he left college and moved back to California. He wanted to focus on music, but he also tried other jobs like landscaping and carpentry.
Music Career Highlights
In 1971, Lewis joined a band called Clover. Around this time, he started using the stage name "Hughie Louis." He played harmonica and sang some songs for the band.
In 1976, Clover went to Los Angeles and got a big break. They traveled to Great Britain with musician Nick Lowe. However, their folk-rock style was becoming less popular there. Clover made two albums, but they were not very successful.
Huey Lewis also played harmonica on Thin Lizzy's 1978 album Live and Dangerous. Later that year, he started playing with musicians who would become the future members of The News. At this point, he used the name "Huey Lewis." His new band was first called Huey Lewis and the American Express.
Forming Huey Lewis and The News
After recording a song called "Exodisco," Lewis got a record deal. His manager suggested they change the band's name to Huey Lewis and The News. Their first album in 1980 wasn't a big hit.
But in 1982, their album Picture This became very popular. It reached No. 13 on the album charts. This was thanks to their first hit song, "Do You Believe in Love," which reached No. 7.
The Sports Album and Movie Success
The band's third album, Sports (released in 1983), became one of the best-selling pop albums ever. It reached No. 1 in 1984. Four songs from Sports became top-10 hits: "Heart and Soul," "I Want a New Drug," "The Heart of Rock & Roll," and "If This Is It."
Huey Lewis's song "The Power of Love" was a No. 1 hit in the U.S. It was featured in the 1985 movie Back to the Future. The band also recorded "Back in Time" for the film. Lewis even had a small role in the movie. He played a teacher who tells Marty McFly's band they are "too darn loud" during an audition. "The Power of Love" was nominated for an Academy Award.
After the success of Back to the Future, Huey Lewis and the News released their album Fore! in 1986. This album also reached No. 1. It included No. 1 hits like "Stuck with You" and "Jacob's Ladder." The album had five top-10 singles in total.
Lewis and his bandmates also performed on the 1985 charity song "We Are the World" for USA for Africa. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, they continued to tour and release hit albums.
Later Music Projects
Huey Lewis has performed with the band Umphrey's McGee several times. He also appeared on two songs from their album Safety in Numbers.
In 2007, Lewis recorded a duet version of "Workin' for a Livin'" with country star Garth Brooks. On July 4, 2008, Huey Lewis and the News opened the annual A Capitol Fourth celebration in Washington, D.C. They played for over half a million people.
In 2013, Lewis appeared on the TV show Dancing with the Stars. He performed "The Heart of Rock & Roll" to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Sports album.
On April 13, 2018, Lewis announced he had been diagnosed with Ménière's disease. This condition affects hearing and balance. Because he "couldn't hear well enough to sing," he had to cancel his tour dates. In 2025, he shared that his hearing loss had worsened. He said he likely would not be able to perform music again.
In November 2023, it was announced that a musical featuring the band's music, called The Heart of Rock and Roll, would open on Broadway in March 2024. Lewis has been involved in creating this show since 2018.
Acting Career
After his small role in Back to the Future, Huey Lewis took on more acting parts. He appeared in the movie Short Cuts and played Ricky Dean in Duets.
He also had roles in TV shows like One Tree Hill, The King of Queens, and Hot in Cleveland. Lewis provides the voice of Bulworth the junkyard dog in the animated series Puppy Dog Pals.
In 2013, he played himself in a funny video with "Weird Al" Yankovic. On October 21, 2015, he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He played his Back to the Future role again in a segment with Marty McFly and Doc Brown. In 2021, he played himself in an episode of The Blacklist.
Lawsuit Information
In 1985, Huey Lewis had a disagreement with Ray Parker Jr. over similarities between Parker's theme song for the movie Ghostbusters and Lewis's song "I Want a New Drug". They resolved the issue privately.
Personal Life
Huey Lewis lives on a ranch near Stevensville, Montana. He considers this his main home.
He married Sidney Conroy in 1983. They separated six years later. They have a daughter and a son.
Images for kids
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Lewis performing with Huey Lewis and the News in 2013
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Lewis, early 1990s
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Lewis in 2009
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Lewis performing in Nashville, Tennessee, November 2008
See also
In Spanish: Huey Lewis para niños
