Richy Kicklighter

soulful blue jazz guitar

About Me

About Richy Kicklighter Writes and plays blues , jazz, worldbeat, new age, reggae, r&b, and funk. Richy is known for his soulful and melodic guitar style . He plays both acoustic and electric and writes and produces his own music. Richy Kicklighter has 10 cds released on the jazz, blues and new age formats that have charted and received airplay on radio and tv internationally. Richy got a start with the Delrays band playing r&b and soul and worked with Rufus Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Bo Diddley, Little Johnny Taylor, Pigmeat Markum, Willy Hightower and more. After a few years with the Delrays he meant Sammy Lawhorn while jammimg with the Muddy Waters band, Sammy moved to Florida and Richy and Sammy played together in the Jukes blues band for a year or so from there Richy moved to New York city and worked with Tom Doucette former harmonica player for the Allman Bros. band. After New York City Richy moved to Macon Georgia where he played and jammed with everyone from the Allman bro. band to various members of James Brown and Otis Redding bands. Richy then joined T.S.S. for Talton, Stewart and Sandlin (Capricorn records), featuring Tommy Talton of Cowboy, Johnny Sandlin (Capricorn producer) and Bill Stewart Capricorn session drummer and featured Neil Larsen on piano. Moving to Atlanta Richy helped put together the legendary r&b/blues band Cool Breeze with singer Bill Sheffield. Cool Breeze was a leader on the blues circuit doing the east coast from New York to Florida and sharing the bill with Stevie Ray Vaughn, Room Full Of Blues, Night Hawks, Average White Band, Dixie Dreggs, John Hammond and many more. While living in Atlanta Richy was invited to join the Instigators reggae/blues/r&b/jazz group in Florida. Moving to Sarasota he played with the Instigators for about 8 years doing shows with Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Third World and many more. While playing with the Instigators Richy was invited to write and play for Willie Royals(jazz violin) first cd which led to Richy signing his first record contract with Ichiban records in Atlanta. Just For Kicks, released in 1987 on the Ichiban label, was an immediate favorite with contemporary jazz radio, and climbed quickly on Gavin and R&R radio charts. With the release of his second Ichiban recording, his soulful and unique guitar voice and originality in songwriting and melody made his name synonymous with good contemporary jazz music. King's Highway was released in the spring of 1992 on the Japanese Polystar label and reached 4 on the Japanese billboard charts. Produced by Richy and Sonny Abelardo King's Highway featured an allstar band with Neil Larsen, Jimmy Earl, Bubba Bryant, Lenny Castro and Joe Sample. In 1994 Myakka also on the Polystar label, was released with another allstar band featuring Jimmy Earl, Sonny Emory, Lenny Castro, Neil Larsen and Richard Elliott and produced by Richy and Sonny Abelardo. These recordings did very well in Japan as well as the U.S. and led to several compilation cds in Japan with artist like John Denver and Christopher Cross. In 1998 Richy wrote and produced One Sun One Moon, his first new age cd which has just been rereleased and is possibly his biggest seller. It is a nonstop musical adventure with a train and sounds mixed with exotic acoustic guitar, piano, pedal steel, percussion and more. Richy started his Midnight Pass Music label to provide him with a way to produce his music and ideas and at this time Midnight Pass Music has 5 cds available by Richy:Early Morning Rain (blues ) Unknown, Moving Skies, One Sun One Moon and Richy Kicklighter Live, with 2 more cds in production and soon to be released. Currently his new cds Early Morning Rain(blues) Unknown and Moving Skies (smooth jazz) One Sun One Moon (new age) and Richy Kicklighter Live are on his own label, Midnight Pass Music. Moving Skies was picked in the top 15 of 2005 on Sky fm radio, and has received many outstanding reviews. He also has a song on the new Wishbone Ash cd, Clan Destiny. Midnight Pass Music and Richy Kicklighter have a new blues/jazz cd and a blues cd expected for release 2008. Richy's band is available for shows. Please contact Richy 941-957-3516