Rick's been playing guitar for over 50 years, first picking it up in Hawaii around 1968. He began learning the different fingerpicking styles of Donovan, Dylan, Paul Simon and others, along with the styles of several local Hawaiian artists of the day. With the purchase of his first electric guitar, he became asborbed in the sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jeff Beck, and Santana, the last two having a major influence on his playing. By pure luck, he stumbled into a working band after only a couple of years, and began playing 7 days a week, and he's been working ever since. In 1974, after joining a local blues band, he was introduced to the sounds of Mike Bloomfield, Freddy King, Johnny Winter, Robben Ford, and Larry Carlton. Mixing blues with the rock he'd been playing helped shape the sound that he still strives for today. After moving to Baton Rouge in 1976, he began a steady diet of playing on the road, meeting and having the chance to share the stage with artists like BB King, Etta James, Albert King, The Pointer Sisters, Edgar Winter, Ace, and Bonnie Raitt. Being fortunate enough to always be working in venues encouraging original music, he began to work more on his own material. To this date, he's released 4 cd's, and he's always working on another one. After moving to Alachua, Florida and meeting his wife Pat, he retired from road work, found a great band, Area Code , and was with them for almost 30 years! During that time he started 4 Cryin' Out Loud and Double Trouble , and has been very fortunate to be hired by TheEzee Band, The Flying Gypsies, Daze Rain, Center Lane, Squid Love, The Shambles, The Real Deelz and Loose Change. When not gigging, he and Pat can be found camping somewhere in their leisure Van. And until heI finally makes it as a tennis pro, he also does recording projects and teaches guitar out of his home studio.