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Singer-songwriter Eddie Money has died at age 70 after announcing in August that he had stage 4 esophageal cancer.
“The Money family regrets to announce that Eddie passed away peacefully early this morning,” his family said in a statement to People. “It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our loving husband and father. We cannot imagine our world without him. We are grateful that he will live on forever through his music.”
Money, whose real name was Edward Joseph Mahoney, rose to fame in the ’70s and ’80s with hit songs like “Take Me Home Tonight,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Walk on Water” and “Baby Hold On.”
Here are five facts you may not have known about the late entertainer:
1. He Was A Member Of The NYPD For 2 Years
Money was the son of a New York City police officer and initially planned to follow in his father’s footsteps. He served on the force for two years until 1968 when he put aside his law enforcement career to pursue music. He told Rolling Stone in 2018 that he “would have been a very lenient cop.”
He then moved to Berkeley, California and began performing at local clubs, changing his surname in 1976.
2. He Appeared On Hit TV Shows
Along with touring and making music, Money was also featured in an episode of the television show “The King of Queens,” where he performed for his friend and the show’s star, Kevin James. He also made an appearance on “The Drew Carey Show,” where he played Mimi’s ex-husband.
Of course, his music has been featured on both the big and small screens many times, in shows from “Hawaii Five-O” to “The Simpsons” and “The Office,” along with movies like “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.”
3. There Is A Movie Named After His Song
The title of the 2011 film “Take Me Home Tonight” comes from Money’s 1986 song of the same name. The song is played in the trailer for the film, but never actually appears in the movie and is not on the soundtrack.
4. Money And His Family Have Their Own Reality Show
Money and his family are the focus of AXS TV’s reality series “Real Money,” which has been airing its second season. The show follows the daily lives of Money, his wife and their five children, both at home and on the road.
“Eddie and his family really resonated with our viewers, shining a light on the highs, lows and hijinks behind the multi-platinum stardom,” Evan Haiman, AXS TV’s vice president of music programming and production said in a press release at the time of the show’s second-season renewal.
The episode of “Real Money” that revealed the singer’s cancer diagnosis aired Sept. 12 and the remaining episodes of the second season were slated to cover his illness and its effect on his family. Beyond that, the future of the TV series is uncertain. AXS TV posted a tribute video to Money on the show’s website.
5. He Underwent Heart Valve Surgery In May
Money underwent minor heart valve surgery in May after he began to experience shortness of breath. According to Money’s website, doctors wanted the surgery to be performed the week before it was, but Money did not want to disappoint fans who had already purchased tickets to two Memorial Day weekend shows.
He scheduled the procedure for the following week and made his 28th consecutive Memorial Day weekend appearance at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit.
He then canceled the rest of his 2019 tour dates in July after developing pneumonia while in the hospital.
Our thoughts are with Money’s family. He will be missed.
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