Biography
Over the years Rick has appeared on numerous radio stations throughout
Britain, as well as receiving airplay in Canada, the USA, and Belgium!
Rick's repertoire includes songs by other writers as well as his own
material, and although he enjoys the intimacy of folk clubs, he is
equally at home playing larger venues. He recorded his first album, a
cassette entitled Reason Enough, recorded at Pathway Studios in North
London, in 1983. In November 1985, he even played live on a Virgin
Airlines 747 to the USA. During the 80s, Rick presented a weekly folk
music programme "Folk At Five, for community radio station Radio Basildon,
in Essex. He later moved on to co-present, with Dennis Rookard, Essex Folk
for BBC Essex.
Rick has been frequently re-booked by clubs, and over the years he has
also played support to such artists as Jim Couza, Fred Wedlock, Gregson
& Collister, Capercaillie, and Harvey Andrews. He also duetted with
Griff Rhys Jones in 1990, at a special charity event, at Wrabness in
Essex. Rick co-presented "Essex Folk" for BBC Essex for eight years,
until 1994, as well as running Maldon Folk Club, and the Maldon Folk
Festival. In 1990 he recorded his second album, an LP called
Looking For Signs. This time he recorded at a studio in Chelmsford,
Essex.
Rick was one of the contributors to the "Guinness Encyclopaedia of
Popular Music", published in 1992, and the subsequent "Guinness Who's
Who of Folk Music".
From 1993 until 1996, Rick toured Denmark regularly, and in 1994, was a
founder member, with singer/guitarist Peter Dunhill, of the harmony
group The Open Road.
In 1996, he recorded not one but two albums. A solo effort called These
Things Happen, and an Open Road group recording, with group members
Peter Dunhill & Anita Toth, called The Open Road. Both were again
recorded at Steve Morris Studios in Chelmsford, Essex.
Rick then continued to work in a solo capacity, as well as with The Open
Road, until the break-up of the group, when for a time he continued
working with former group member Julia Pascoe. Rick and Julia's last
performance together was in November 2000. Rick has continued to work
solo, as well as briefly with friend and fellow musician Julian May,
with whom he made one recording, released in 2003, a CD entitled Loose
Association.
Rick's most recent recording, It's About Time, the title coming from a
suggestion by Keith Hannah, was released, to much acclaim, in 2014.
In 1999, Rick played a series of dates in Phoenix, Arizona, and, since
then, has returned regularly due to popular demand.