Photo: Infinity Records / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Rupert Holmes is far more than the guy behind the Piña Colada Song, and that disconnect is what fascinates me. Sure, Escape is an inescapable earworm with a genuinely clever twist ending, but the same man went on to win Tony Awards for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, an audacious musical where the audience votes on the killer. That sly love of the unexpected runs through everything he does, from his pop storytelling to his mystery novels and Edgar-winning scripts. I love a craftsman who refuses to stay in one lane. He treats every form, song, play or book, as a puzzle to be elegantly solved.
Overview
Rupert Holmes (born 1947 in Northwich, England) is a British-American singer-songwriter, playwright and novelist. He is best known for his 1979 chart-topping hit Escape (The Piña Colada Song) and the follow-up Him. He later became an acclaimed dramatist, winning Tony Awards for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and earned multiple Edgar Awards for his mystery writing across theatre, television and fiction.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Rupert Holmes
- Name (Japanese)
- ルパート・ホルムズ
- Reading
- るぱーと・ほるむず
- Born
- February 24, 1947 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Pig
- Origin
- Northwich, England, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Novelist / Singer-songwriter / Playwright / Author / Songwriter
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1986 Edgar Award
- 1991 Edgar Award
- 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award
- 1986 Tony Award for Best Original Score
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signature work | Escape (The Piña Colada Song) | — | |
| Signature work | Him | — |
6. Links
Novelist — see all → · Singer-songwriter — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.