Bobby Orlando

Bobby Orlando wrote and recorded "A Man Like Me" in 1979 with producer Arif Mardin. The song became his most recognizable work, a piano-driven ballad that found an audience beyond its initial release. He also wrote "Whisper To a Scream," another track that appears in his catalog.

In the early 1980s, Orlando faced some legal trouble and allegations about drug use, which complicated his career as a performer. He shifted toward production work instead, contributing to recordings by artists like Pat Benatar, The Pointer Sisters, and Cher.

He put out a few solo albums in those years, including "Bobby Orlando" in 1980, "Half a Man" in 1982, and "Moving Forward" in 1985. The writing on those records stayed mostly in the pop and adult contemporary lane he'd established with "A Man Like Me."