Rachel Sweet (born July 28, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television writer.
Sweet’s musical journey began at the age of three, when she first showed a natural talent for singing. By 1974, she recorded her first single, “Faded Rose.” While her first efforts consisted primarily of country music, a teenaged Sweet would soon find more success as she switched to rock ‘n’ roll. In 1978, she signed with Stiff Records and released her debut single, “B-A-B-Y.” Although her debut album Fool Around failed to achieve much commercial success, it garnered critical acclaim and earned Sweet her most iconic track.
In 1980, Sweet released her second album, Protect the Innocent, which marked a shift towards a pop-rock sound. Unlike her debut, however, Protect the Innocent failed to achieve much critical or commercial praise. Shortly thereafter, she left Stiff Records and signed with Columbia Records. In 1981, she released her third album, …And Then He Kissed Me, which featured one of the first recorded versions of “Shadows of the Night” (later made famous by Pat Benatar) and her highest-charting hit, “Everlasting Love,” a duet with fellow teen idol Rex Smith.
1982 brought Sweet’s fourth and final studio album, Blame It on Love. Entirely self-produced, the album featured a mix of songs penned or co-written by Sweet, including the second highest-charting single of her career, “Voo Doo.” Despite her creative control and critical praise, Sweet chose to step away from the music industry shortly after its release.
In 1988, Sweet would reemerge to co-write and record the title track for John Waters' cult classic film Hairspray. A couple of years later, in 1990, she reunited with Waters to contribute several original songs for his film Cry-Baby.
