Richard

Born in Champaign, Ill USA, Richard had piano & trombone lessons by the age of nine, but the only instrument he really learned to play well was the one he taught himself, the guitar. At the age of 11 his adventurous parents transported him to Ethiopia, where he went to great lengths to obtain records by Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin, or his all-time favourite: Yes. And there he learned to love artists like Tilahun Gessesse, and was exposed to Osibisa, "criss-cross rhythms that explode with happiness."

Richard arrived in Canada in 1976 where, other than a summer at Berklee College of Music and two years in San Francisco, he has lived ever since. While in San Francisco he recorded a 4-song EP and played the local circuit in the days of unknowns Oingo Boingo and XTC. Back in Toronto since 1981, Richard is a Queen St. veteran (Afraid to Dance/Shoulder to Shoulder) and a true Canadian road warrior who has played bars and clubs from Prince Rupert, BC to Cornerbrook, Newfoundland (The Items, State of the Art, Bounty, At A Glance). Richard also plays with Grey Matter.