Tony Lewis (Photo by Carol Lewis)
Following his unexpected death last month, the family of Tony Lewis, lead singer and bassist of the 1980s rock band The Outfield and successful solo artist and producer, has posthumously released his new EP, More Than I Dared.
Additionally, they’ve shared the official music video for lead single “Gonna Make You Love Me” as a tribute to Tony.
100% of net proceeds from the initial release of More Than I Dared will be donated to MusiCares, an organization Tony was very fond of, as he always wanted to support his fellow musicians.
“On behalf of my girls and myself, I’d like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love, affection and sadness for the loss of our adored Tony,” said Tony’s wife, Carol Lewis. “Following his debut venture as a solo artist, Tony had been in the studio this year working on new music. We had written a new body of work and have decided to release a full EP collection to share with and thank his fans for their continued support of his solo career. Tony’s life was full of music; he was never happier than being on stage connecting with a crowd or meeting fans and listening to their stories. He was truly grateful for his career that started in 1983. I know his distinctive voice and musical legacy will carry on through these new songs. Please remember him with love, laughter and a sense of fun. He is, was, and always will be irreplaceable.”
Watch the official music video for “Gonna Make You Love Me” on YouTube:
Tony, 62, had been working on the six-song collection this year at his home studio near London, England, where he recorded and produced the songs alongside Carol, who penned the lyrics. More Than I Dared (Madison Records) was engineered/mixed by Wyatt Oates (Blackberry Smoke, Outkast) with additional engineering and drums by Tanner Hendon, and mastered by Ken Lanyon (Fozzy, Neadtobreathe). Lewis had chosen the name of the EP as he felt his solo career was more than he dared would happen.
Tony Lewis and the late John Spinks took the ‘80s by storm with The Outfield’s multi-platinum debut album Play Deep and their infectious pop songs, including “Your Love,” “All the Love,” and “Say It Isn’t So.” “Your Love” peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1986 and is still widely known today, with features in various TV spots and commercials and continuous rotation at radio stations across the country.
With its unforgettable opening line “Josie’s on a vacation far away…” in Tony’s signature voice, “Your Love” remains one of the most liked songs more than 30 years since its release, with over 1 billion total streams and 300 million YouTube views — and growing.