In the world of songwriting and music production, few can claim the kind of cross-genre success achieved by Rick Chudacoff. He’s helped to pen or produce top-selling hits in Pop, R&B, Christian and country, including co-writing the 1995 Grammy-winning “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart.” He first broke into the music business playing with the major label disco funk band Crackin’. He made his first big mark as a songwriter/arranger by collaborating on Robbie Dupree’s “Steal Away,” a catchy hit that reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980. He then received production credits on Matthew Wilder’s 1983 pop standard “Break My Stride,” which hit No. 5 on the Hot 100, and Patti LaBelle’s 1984 R&B hit “New Attitude,” among others. In his varied career, he has co-written top 10 hits in pop (“Steal Away”), R&B (The Temptations’ “Look What You Started,” No. 8 in 1986), contemporary Christian (“I Call Your Name,” Clay Crosse, No. 1 in 1994) and country (Shenandoah’s “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart,” No. 7 in 1995). In all, productions on which he’s been involved account for more than 25 million units sold. Through his own music company, Gouda Music Group, he continues to write and produce music in a number of genres today.