Rickey Medlocke
- Guitar
- vocals
Rick Medlocke (born February 17, 1950) is an American musician, best known as the frontman/guitarist for the Southern rock band Blackfoot and a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. During his first stint with Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1971 to 1972, he played drums and sang lead on a few songs that would initially be released on 1978's "First and... Last." Medlocke would rejoin Blackfoot in 1972 and later returned to Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1996 as a guitarist with whom he continues to tour and record today.
Medlocke was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008.[1]
Early life
Rickey Medlocke was born Rickey Lynn Green on February 17, 1950, in Jacksonville, Florida. He was raised by his maternal[2] grandparents. His grandfather, Paul "Shorty" Medlocke, was a bluegrass musician and taught his grandson to play a miniature banjo. Medlocke started performing onstage at age three, and his musical abilities increased over the years. He began teaching himself to play the guitar by age five and was playing drums in Shorty's band at age eight. Over the next several years Medlocke mastered the banjo, guitar, drums, mandolin, dobro and keyboards. He had a melodic singing voice and had taught himself to sing and play guitar at the same time. After graduating high school, Medlocke formed his first band, Fresh Garbage (inspired by the Spirit song), in which he was lead vocalist and drummer. That band soon changed its name to Hammer, then to Blackfoot.
Career
Medlocke recorded briefly with the 1970s-era Lynyrd Skynyrd band as a session musician, occasionally playing drums or singing lead on a few songs for them in 1971: "One More Time", "Preacher's Daughter", "Lend a Helpin' Hand", "Wino", "White Dove", "Comin' Home", "The Seasons", "Ain't Too Proud to Pray", and "You Run Around". On occasion, Medlocke played alongside the band's original drummer Bob Burns but came to desire the energy of a guitarist at the front of the stage. This resulted in his 1972 decision to reform Blackfoot. The band began touring and producing hit songs that included "Train, Train", which was written by his grandfather, and "Highway Song", lyrics and title were written by "Rickey Medlocke" and Blackfoot drummer "Jackson Spires". The songs music, backing vocals and solo's were arranged by "Blackfoot" and appeared along with songs written by others. He disbanded the group in the early 1990s.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Service_members_enjoy_Defenders_of_Freedom_Appreciation_Day_%28Image_1_of_8%29.webp/220px-Service_members_enjoy_Defenders_of_Freedom_Appreciation_Day_%28Image_1_of_8%29.webp.png)
For a while in the 1990s, Medlocke thought about pursuing other careers until he received a phone call in 1996 from Gary Rossington inviting him to rejoin Lynyrd Skynyrd as a lead guitarist and primary songwriter. Rossington asked Medlocke if he remembered how to play "Free Bird", "Tuesday's Gone", and "Workin' For MCA", among others. Medlocke rejoined Skynyrd and has been a member since. Occasionally, Medlocke will step away from Skynyrd briefly to join musicians like Blackberry Smoke and Shooter Jennings onstage. He joined American Idol finalist Bo Bice on stage for a rendition of "Sweet Home Alabama" when the top three finalists from season four returned home. He joined Colin Stough of Gattman, MS, to perform with him on his coming home after making Top 3 of American Idol season 21, 2023. He performed with Colin at Hatley High School in Hatley, Mississippi.
Discography
With Blackfoot
With Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Street Survivors (1977) (drums & chorus on One More Time recorded during 1971-1972)
- Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978) (contains early recordings from 1971 and 1972)
- Twenty (1997)
- Lyve from Steel Town (1998)
- Skynyrd's First - The Complete Muscle Shoals Album (1998) (contains early recordings from 1971 and 1972)
- Edge of Forever (1999)
- Christmas Time Again (2000)
- Vicious Cycle (2003)
- Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour (2003)
- God & Guns (2010)
- Last of a Dyin' Breed (2012)
References
External links
- Biography at IMDB
- v
- t
- e
- Rickey Medlocke
- Johnny Van Zant
- Michael Cartellone
- Mark Matejka
- Peter Keys
- Keith Christopher
- Ronnie Van Zant
- Allen Collins
- Gary Rossington
- Bob Burns
- Larry Junstrom
- Greg T. Walker
- Leon Wilkeson
- Billy Powell
- Ed King
- Artimus Pyle
- Steve Gaines
- Randall Hall
- Kurt Custer
- Mike Estes
- Owen Hale
- Hughie Thomasson
- Jeff McAllister
- Kenny Aronoff
- Ean Evans
- Robert Kearns
- Johnny Colt
- (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
- Second Helping
- Nuthin' Fancy
- Gimme Back My Bullets
- Street Survivors
- Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991
- The Last Rebel
- Endangered Species
- Twenty
- Edge of Forever
- Christmas Time Again
- Vicious Cycle
- God & Guns
- Last of a Dyin' Breed
- One More from the Road
- Southern by the Grace of God
- Lyve from Steel Town
- Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour
- Live from Freedom Hall
- Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour Lyve!
- Skynyrd's First and... Last
- Gold & Platinum
- Best of the Rest
- Legend
- Skynyrd's Innyrds
- Lynyrd Skynyrd (box set)
- A Retrospective
- What's Your Name
- Old Time Greats
- The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Skynyrd's First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album
- 20th Century Masters: The Best of Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Solo Flytes
- All Time Greatest Hits
- Collectybles
- Then and Now
- Thyrty
- Then and Now Volume Two
- Greatest Hits
- Icon
- Freebird... The Movie
- Lyve from Steel Town
- Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour
- Live from Freedom Hall
- "Gimme Three Steps" / "Mr. Banker"
- "Don't Ask Me No Questions" / "Take Your Time"
- "Sweet Home Alabama"
- "Free Bird"
- "Saturday Night Special"
- "Double Trouble"
- "What's Your Name"
- "That Smell"
- "Truck Drivin' Man"
- "You Got That Right"
- "Preacher Man"
- "Red White & Blue"
- "Need All My Friends"
- "Tuesday's Gone"
- "Simple Man"
- Discography
- Members
- Skynyrd Frynds
- Plane crash
- Ronnie Van Zant Memorial Park
- Leonard Skinner
- "All Summer Long"