Bio Page
When I was three years old I knew all I wanted to do was play guitar and fly airplanes.
Well I am so blessed because so far playing guitar and flying airplanes is all I have ever had to do to make a living.
In the 1970s I joined my first steady working band ,"Pullman West " from Berrien Springs Michigan. It was a great area to cut your teeth as there were some pretty talented folks to learn from around there. "Tommy Shaw" of "Styx" had an 80 acre ranch not far from where we used to rehearse and he used to come out to the clubs and sit in when he was in town. "Terry Thomas" used to come out to those clubs as well. He went on to produce some of my favorite albums.
Pullman West Rehearsal 1977
I attended Eau Claire high school in southwest Michigan. The school board knew about my obsession with the guitar since I carried it to school every day and let it echo through the halls whenever I had a break in classes. They made an exception to their attendance policy and allowed me to take my books on the road. Most of my Senior year was spent touring the U.S. and abroad. I came home for graduation and that was about it.
Outfit I picked up in Japan.
I think I may still have this somewhere!
After Pullman West I played with numerous groups including "Patriot" which recorded the US version of the "Rodeo Song". It received quite a bit of airplay on the "Dr. Demento" radio show. The lyrics were even used in the movie "Cats Eye" based on the "Stephen King" book.
I think this was shot in 83 in Minot, ND. I made some friends there and we set aside a bottle of Champagne for when we next got together. I have long since forgotten how to reach them so I hope they see this one day and send me an email.
"Larry Krueger" was a singer and bass player in "Patriot" and with the addition of drummer extraordinaire "Jeff Clark" we formed "Hyper". We recorded several albums, the last being the 1995 "Happy Bottom Riding Club". During the sessions of that album "Ross Garfield" of "Drum Doctors" made the comment that Jeff was the best unknown drummer in the country. He ought to know as he has seen them all! I couldn't agree more!
"Mike Varney" caught me playing at a NAMM show in New Orleans and featured me in the October 1984 issue of "Guitar Player" magazine. I got to do demonstration shows with some awesome guitarist's as well!
Over the next few years I played allot of clubs, gave quite a few lessons, and taught music theory and guitar at the Thacher School in Ojai. But for the most part when the members of "Hyper" moved to different states, I dropped of the radar screen in the music biz.
Dropping off the radar doesn't mean quitting!
With "Ride The Pony" being used in a film with Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack and with the success of the Clark Pauken Ricketts Reactivated CD,
Im still at it today :-)
Jamming with some friends on Halloween 2007.
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2004-2008 MichaelDRicketts.com