Joey Scarbury facts for kids

Joey Scarbury is an American singer and songwriter. He is famous for his hit song "Believe It or Not," which was the theme song for the TV show The Greatest American Hero in 1981. He was born on June 7, 1955.

Joey Scarbury's Early Life and Music

Joey Scarbury was born in Ontario, California, in the United States. He grew up in Thousand Oaks, California. His mother always encouraged him to sing and follow his dream.

When he was just 14 years old, a songwriter named Jimmy Webb's father noticed his talent. Joey then signed a recording contract with Dunhill Records. His first song, "She Never Smiles Anymore," did not become popular. Soon after, he no longer had a record label.

Staying in the Music World

Throughout the 1970s, Joey Scarbury stayed involved in the music business. He was inspired by singer Dan Seals. Joey often sang backup for other artists, like country singer Loretta Lynn. He also recorded his own songs sometimes.

In 1971, he had a small hit song called "Mixed Up Guy." However, he did not have much success on the music charts for the rest of the decade. He also recorded a song called "Point Me In The Direction Of Albuquerque" in 1971.

Becoming a Hero: The 1980s

In the late 1970s, Joey Scarbury started working with a record producer and composer named Mike Post. Mike Post was asked to write the theme song for a new TV show. The show was called The Greatest American Hero. It was about a regular high school teacher who gets a superhero suit from aliens.

The Hit Song "Believe It or Not"

Joey Scarbury recorded the full song, which was named "Believe It or Not". A shorter version was used as the theme song for the TV show. The show became very popular, and so did its catchy theme song.

Because of this, Elektra Records released "Believe It or Not" as a single song. It quickly became a huge hit in 1981. The song reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. A music album with a similar name, America's Greatest Hero, was also quickly released and sold well.

After the Big Hit

After "Believe It or Not," Joey Scarbury found it hard to have another big hit. His next song, "When She Dances," reached number 49 on the charts. After that, his songs did not appear on the charts as much.

He continued to work with Mike Post in the mid-1980s. He recorded the song "Back to Back" for the TV show Hardcastle and McCormick. He also worked with Desiree Goyette on songs for the Peanuts special It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown. Joey Scarbury also sang the opening theme for the TV show Jennifer Slept Here. He also sang for the Splashdance album and for Donald Duck's 50th Birthday. He even sang a demo for Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears.

Songwriting Success in the 1990s

In 1990, Joey Scarbury found success again, but this time as a songwriter. He co-wrote a song called "No Matter How High". This song was recorded by the Oak Ridge Boys and became a number-one country music hit. He wrote it with Even Stevens, who had also written songs for other famous country artists.

In 1993, Joey Scarbury teamed up with singer Jennifer Warnes. They recorded the theme song for a TV show called Almost Home.

Performing for TV Themes

In April 2005, Joey Scarbury was invited to New York City. He performed at the China Club in Times Square for a concert featuring TV theme songs. Other singers of popular TV themes joined him on stage.

"Believe It or Not" in Pop Culture

The song "Believe It or Not" has been featured in pop culture. For example, it was made fun of in an episode of the TV show Seinfeld. In the episode called "Susie", the character George Costanza uses a funny version of the song. He sings different words for his answering machine message. The actor, Jason Alexander, was told to sing badly on purpose to make it funnier.

Joey Scarbury's Music

Joey Scarbury has released several songs over the years.

Albums

• America's Greatest Hero (1981)

Hit Songs

• "Mixed Up Guy" (1971)
• "Believe It or Not" (1981) - This song reached number 2 on the U.S. charts.
• "When She Dances" (1981)

See also

In Spanish: Joey Scarbury para niños