17/02/2026
We’re excited to announce that Rare Bird will publish the highly anticipated memoir No Easy Way Out by Robert Tepper, a legendary figure best known for his iconic 1980s hits, including “No Easy Way Out” from the Rocky IV motion picture soundtrack and “Angel of the City” from Sylvester Stallone’s 1986 film Cobra.
The work also explores Tepper’s deep roots in the late 1960s / early 1970s New York City–New Jersey circuit, playing constantly, learning repertoire, harmonies, crowd control, and survival in volatile rooms.
This wasn’t hobbyist territory; it was apprenticeship by fire, stark contrast to the classical training Tepper was exposed to at Cannes School of Music in serious institutional lineage, studying theory, analysis, and classical repertoire during the Vietnam era.
Tepper has always been a songwriter first, not celebrity first, making his eventual 1980s breakout feel earned, accidental, and psychologically costly—a powerful counter-narrative to standard rock mythology. His story is extraordinarily multi-faceted, but his long-game credibility shine through like a golden rod of structure, swagger, and endurance.
