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Master guitarist Ricky Lewis
distills a lifetime of dedication, hard knocks, and myriad influences into
the music he seems destined to play—energetic, and uniquely tasty, hard-rockin’ blues. A native of North Carolina, Lewis was already a
veteran of live TV performances by the age of nine. As a teenager he wrote
and played with a number of rock bands touring the gritty Southern club
circuit. And like so many talented young men before him, Lewis decided to go
west in search of opportunity.
A newcomer to Southern California in the early 80’s, Ricky began to
explore and master new musical genres. Almost immediately he was hired by the
once-popular Surf Rock band The Chantays, of
“Pipeline” fame. Enlivened by Ricky’s fresh guitar leads, as well as his
writing and arranging skills, The Chantays returned
to prominence with their 1994 release, “Next Set.” In 1996 their commercially
successful “Waiting for the Tide” made the L.A. Times’ Top Ten list and a
rating of 4 ½ stars. While continuing with The Chantays,
Ricky Lewis also played, toured, wrote, and recorded with a number of other
local bands throughout the 1980’s.
Among these were the L.A. pop band The Gliders; the Jeffrey John Group, an Orange County pop band; Mike Reilly’s
Southern rock and blues band Whistler; DaWhiz; and
Pop-Rock ensemble Output. Also on numerous sessions with too many names and
artists to mention. Ricky Lewis also made successful forays into Country
Music. In 1995 and 1996 he did session work in Nashville with some of the best known
Country artists and producers. Back in California,
Ricky joined forces with Nashville
artist Bill Davis to make the Bill Davis Band one of the hottest new groups
on the local Country scene. For 1999, the prestigious Country Music
Association recognized Ricky with its “Lead Guitarist of the Year” Award. In
2000 he also got the “Instrumentalist of the Year” for the North American
Country Music Association International. Now, with his own band, guitarist,
Ricky Lewis, master of many genres, is writing and playing the blues and rock
music he clearly loves. Ricky, along with his band, is featured on the
recently released CD: Blues On The Rocks”. This new album, for which Ricky
wrote two of the songs, provided all the musical arrangements, and directed
the recording, was produced by former Motown producer, Jerry Marcellino. It got airplay on several Gavin and college
stations in the U.S. Ricky Lewis and his band are finally ready to release
the first new Ricky Lewis Band CD called “Songs For The New Depression”. This
is by far the most creative and energetic work he’s done so far. It has been
his true love to create a rhythm and blues, rock and roll record.
Go to my new myspace
music page and sign up as a friend!
myspace.com/rickylewisband
email link: ricky@rickylewis.com
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