Eddie Money, the hitmaker behind ’70’s and ’80’s classics such as “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Take Me Home Tonight,” “Baby Hold On” and more, has died at the age of 70. Money recently revealed that he had been battling stage 4 esophageal cancer. A statement from his family reads, “The Money Family regrets to announce that Eddie passed away peacefully early this morning. 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.”
The singer, born Edward Joseph Mahoney, got his start in the Bay Area in the ’70’s and hooked up with legendary concert promoter Bill Graham, who became his manager. Money’s first big hit was 1978’s “Baby Hold On,” followed by “Two Tickets to Paradise.” His biggest song was 1986’s “Take Me Home Tonight,” a duet with Ronnie Spector of The Ronnettes, which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Money also faced public battles involving drug and alcohol abuse throughout his career as well. In recent years, he had his own reality show on AXS TV, titled Easy Money.
He is survived by his wife Laurie and five children.