Just a year after he raced up the charts with his debut single "Don't Mean Nothing," Richard Marx made his speedy return with a soul-touching ballad, inspired by the real-life heartache of his friend.
READ MORE: May 1987: Richard Marx Debuts with "Don't Mean Nothing"
In the past, Marx had found inspiration for his songs by combing through books or even on the big screen at the theaters. This time, he would witness things firsthand as his close friend met someone who he thought could be "the one..." while he was already seeing someone.
Said Marx to Songfacts, "A friend of mine went through exactly that. There were parts of it that I could really relate to, but this guy just thought that he was in the right situation, but he met somebody else, and he was, 'Ohhh...' and the girl was involved with somebody already at the time, and they just never got together."
He continued, "They never made a go of it. I've lost touch with this guy over the years, but I remember him thinking, 'What if I had missed the right one?'"
RELATED: June 1989: Richard Marx Releases "Right Here Waiting"
The 25-year-old singer translated these unanswered questions into a heart wrenching ballad. As it turns out, countless folks across the nation resonated with such pondering.
The song soared to No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his first No. 1 hit in the states. Marx would return shortly after to the top spot on the charts with his next two singles "Satisfied" and Right Here Waiting."
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