RATED R

The band “RATED R” was formed in 1987, although some of these guys had been playing music together since grade school. Most of them started young, Steve got his first guitar in November of 1978, he was eleven years old.These boys had it bad “MUSIC” in their blood. I’m sure the other mothers felt as I did, that we each had the same five sons. They rocked my house more times, than I can recall and I loved every minute of it. They developed a sound that was unique, with each adding their on special touch to it and the people loved it.The first “RATED R”~ members were; Steve Richmond; lead vocals/lead guitar:~ Jim Shoopman; bass guitar/vocals.~ Randy Jones; keyboard/vocals/sound tech/electric mandolin~ Dee Ball; vocals/guitar; and David “Boo” Boyatt/ drums;Steve was as busy writing songs as he was playing them. He wrote them on envelopes, napkins and in a notebook that he kept close by his bed. What ever was close by when the inspiration came to him was what he wrote them on..... He saved and we still have each and everyone of them ~ signed, dated and copy righted by him.~~ He would also put them on to tapes, those we have also.One of Steve’s biggest supporters back then was Levi Burchfield; he owned a bar in Oneida Tennessee called “Levi’s Showboat”. Steve went down there one Friday night and talked Levi into letting him sit in with the band that was playing there at the time.~ Steve was seventeen and very persuasive.~ They became good friends and this friendship would later lead to “RATED R” getting the money to buy their first stage equipment. Levi cosigned a loan at the bank for Steve, to get the money to buy the equipment so that “RATED R’ would be able to go out and book their shows. So a young talented, ambitious “RATED R” was on it’s way.Life is about change and the same is true with rock n roll bands, RATED R’S original drummer Boo, had to leave the band for personal reasons and drummer Bill Sisk replaced him... Later, Bill was replaced by Kyle Jones.. Kyle was in and out of the band two or three times,~~ “something about drummers”~~ as you will see as I continue with the rest of the story.~ Randy Jones was next to leave the band, in pursuit of gospel music. Therefore, for a while they stayed a four-piece band.. Dee Ball left the band in the early 90’s for a while so “RATED R”..became a three-piece band and rocked on..Doug Collins from Somerset KY replaced Kyle Jones on the drums and as always “RATED R” kept on going.. On the road again,~ singing their songs and making people happy.~ As I said before, change is one thing you can count on~ and “RATED R” was in for yet, another change.. Doug decide to pursue another side of music recording it,.. Cumberland Recording Company, “CRC”He was replaced by drummer Moe Stephens.. ‘RATED R” was building a large fan club and played to a packed house everywhere they went.. Dee Ball returned to “RATED R” and they became~ “THE AWESOME 4.~ Sweet harmony, their voices blended to perfection.. and their timing, was always,~ right on time.~ In 1995, these four went on to make the~ CD RATED R ROCK- N- ROCK.. Steve Richmond,~ Moe Stephens,~ Dee Ball,~ and Jim Shoopman,~ with a tight busy schedule in front of them, they toured the country promoting their new album... After a couple of years, Dee decided to leave “RATED R” again.~ Dee never returned-- with the exception of making guest appearances from time to time.. Moe, Jim, and Steve continued, as a three-piece band again,. in fact from that time on~ “RATED R”~ would remain a three-piece band...Drummer Moe Stephens, left ‘RATED R” in 1998~ and was replaced by Kyle Jones…… see what I mean about drummers…….just wait….. that’s not the last one… keep reading….Early spring of 1999, Jim Shoopman, the longest running bass player decided to leave “RATED R’.~ His leaving was very hard for Steve~ because they had been together for such a long time,~ but he understood and they continued to remain close friends...This left Steve, as~ the only original member of “RATED R”.~ In April of 1999,~ Steve,~ replaced Kyle Jones,, with drummer Rupe Wilson from Oneida Tenn.~ and added John Humphery on the bass guitar~ and “RATED R” played on… continuing to play to a packed house everywhere they went.Steve continued to write more and more songs~ and was working on a new CD.~ He was getting offers,, from major recording companies,~ but had not yet signed with any of them... He wrote his last song September 19,1999…title,~ LOVE TO HATE……. in the song he is asking the question,~ why can’t we stop all this fighting,~ it is a awesome song~ and one day, not to far in the future you will be hearing it....“RATED R” ~ needed a break from the road~ They was booked at~ The HARD TIMES SALOON~ in Tenn.. as the house band for a while.. "RATED R"~ gave their last performance on~ September 26, 1999.... On September 30th~ Steve Richmond was murdered~ in Somerset KY.~ In all his years of playing music,~ he never missed a performance.~ The ‘RATED R’ banner~ that now serves as a~ background for this site~ was taken down from the stage where he last performed~ and place across his casket,~ to honor the man,~~ who was “RATED R”.~~ We his “family” miss him more than words can ever say, his smile, his laughter, and those hugs he was all ways giving.~ He’s missed and loved, by all who knew him~ and by the those who heard about him, but never got the chance to see “RATED R” perform.~ I am hearing this statement a lot,~ “thanks to myspace.com I finally got to hear “RATED R”!!!!!!The comment I hear the most about my son Steve is~ “what a big heart he had”-- and that he did.--- Music to him, was about his fans,~ without them, a band may be good,~ but they’re going no where.~ Steve loved them as much as they loved him and his music... Do you ever wonder what happened to~ former members of “RATED R”~ well here is a little up date on some of them.~~ Moe Stephens married Sherry Anderson and became a truck driver,~ they now have a son.~~ Rupe Wilson~ is now the drummer for the band Pressure Point... Randy Jones is busy playing and singing gospel music... Jim Shoopman, Dee Ball and Kyle Jones have a new band called~ KREWEL... Jim’s son~ Zacky Shoopman,~ by the way he is a awesome drummer~ and he has a band called -RKF-....There is another young man~~ from Revelo KY~~ name,~ Alex Vanover.~ Now Alex grew up~ with “RATED R” ~his dad,~ Jay Vanover~ was a close friend to all the guys,~ Alex is a very talented drummer~ AWESOME~ along with many other~ talents~ that gets him a lot of attention in the music business.... Alex is the~ drummer~ for the band BROKEN SHRINE...WE WISH THEM ALL THE BEST. MySpace Comments MySpace Editor Dolls Generator Ascii Converter Dancing Lines