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Richard

I am here for Friends and Networking

About Me

I am an active Memphis musician, serving as the executive producer, lead vocalist, bassist, co-songwriter, musical director, band leader, & business manager for the local/regional band "FreeWorld" since 1987 (http://www.freeworldjams.com) &/or (http://www.myspace.com/freeworldjams), and as the lead vocalist, bassist, mandolinist, sitarist, acoustic 12-string guitarist, harmonica player, & co-songwriter for "The Ricos" since 1991, & "Kaleidoscope" since 1997. I have also been one of several bassists for the "Herman Green & the Green Machine" jazz quintet since 1992, and the first call bass sub for Heartsong Church in Cordova, TN since February of 2006. I am an official endorsee of Modulus Graphite Basses, Taylor Acoustic Guitars, DR Strings, SWR Bass Amplification Systems, & DigiTech Effects Processors. I have been repeatedly elected to serve on the Board of the Memphis Chapter of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) in 1997, 1999, 2003 & 2007. I also served as the First Vice President from 2001-2003, and as the Secretary/Treasurer from 2005-2007. I have been an eighteen-time NARAS Premier Player Award nominee in a wide variety of categories including Premier Bassist, Premier Producer, Premier Multi-Instrumentalist, Premier Harmonica Player, & Premier Band - winning the Premier Bassist category in 2003. I was also voted "Best Bassist" by The Flying Saucer/Memphis Flyer Readers poll in May, 2002. In 2005, I was appointed by Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton to the Board of the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission, and was further elected to serve as an Officer and Executive Board Member in 2006 & 2007. In addition, I served as the Chairman of their Musician's Advisory Council from 2004-2007. I also work during the day as a Senior Research Technician in a Developmental Neurogenetics lab in the Anatomy & Neurobiology Department of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and am a loving husband to my wife Lori Kay and a proud & active father to both of our sons; Oliver (8) & Ian (6).I strongly believe in the overall potential of the City of Memphis in general (and the Memphis Music Community in particular!), and continually work VERY HARD to both promote & support the development of the infrastructure needed to perpetuate &/or motivate our local music scene to bigger & better heights... Care to join in?!? Hit me up!!

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

Any of my fellow Memphis Musicians (&/or Music Industry Professionals) who are interested in cultivating the creative ideas - and subsequently putting in the hard work required - to help our Memphis Music Community move forward into the 21st century...

Music:

I have performed or recorded with such notables as: Levon Helm, The Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, Richie Havens, The Meters, Merl Saunders, Dr. John, Timothy Leary, John Sinclair, James Cotton, Willie Mitchell, Jim Gaines, Roland Janes, Mojo Buford, Ace Cannon, Ivan Neville, Hot Tuna, Blues Traveler, Jon Fishman & Page McConnell (Phish), Rob Wasserman, The Derek Trucks Band, The Radiators, JGB, The Grandmothers (formerly The Mothers of Invention), Stephen Perkins & Tony Franklin (Banyan), Los Lobos, John Blackwell (Prince), John Avila (Oingo Boingo), Eric Garcia (Bob Dylan), Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm, Chad Taylor (Live), Tomasito Cruz (Arturo Sandoval), Rolando Briceno, Alex Chilton, The Bar-Kays, Ann Peebles, Don Bryant, Syl Johnson, Steve Cropper, Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd), ‘Jim Dandy’ Mangrum, George Porter Jr. & His Runnin' Pardners, Widespread Panic, Colonel Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit, Brian Stoltz, The North Mississippi All-Stars, Galactic, Drivin' & Cryin', Afroman, Big Ass Truck, Deep Banana Blackout, Shawn Lane, Phineas Jr. & Calvin Newborn, George Coleman, Samurai Celestial, Teenie Hodges, Astral Project, The Rebirth Brass Band, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, The Schwag, Robert Palmer, Jimmie Vaughan & Double Trouble, Susan Tedeschi, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, Little Jimmy King, Sonny Burgess, Pete Pederson, The Cate Brothers, Todd Snider, Lonnie Shields, Kenny Neal, Rod Bland (son of Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland), Devon Allman (son of Greg), Jimmy Pryor, Blind Willie Dineen, Eric Gales, Ana Popovic, Preston Shannon, Ross Rice, Billy Gibson, Jothan Callins, Inner Circle, & touring members of the Broadway musical productions of "Stomp", "The Phantom of the Opera", "Grease", "Cats", "Chicago", "Celtic Women" & "Hair".

Movies:

I appeared as an extra in the major motion picture "The People vs. Larry Flint", plus four "FreeWorld" songs were included on the soundtrack for the independent film "Nothing but Flowers".

Television:

My band "FreeWorld" performed on both the nationally syndicated Food Network TV program "The Bobby Flay Show" in June, 2004, on ESPN’s "50 States in 50 Days" series in August, 2005, and also on the Travel Channel's "5 Takes" series in November, 2006. FreeWorld has also appeared numerous times on several local Memphis TV shows such as News Channel 3's "Live at 9", Channel 13's "Good Morning Memphis", Channel 5's "Local Music Profiles", and the local cable access show "Live from Memphis".