I grew up in California in the 60's. Music has
always played a large role in my family. My father loved to spin the classics and easy
listening records of that time. When I wasn't listening to those records I was intently
listening and watching my brothers play guitar with their friends. There are 5 boys in my
family and we all play guitars. I started my attempt at playing at age 15.
At 17, my family relocated to Louisiana, since my mother was a native of New Orleans. We
located in Morgan City where I developed friendships with other musicians in that area,
whom at the time I thought were very talented. I did a few duo gigs with one of those
friends for a short while.
Next, I joined another band called "Nature's Way" doing a few originals. We
played mostly soft pop ballad type stuff. We never went anywhere, but we did record a few
songs. I think I still have a tape somewhere...
At about age 18, another band spurred off of "Nature's Way" focusing mostly on
hard rock current to that day. (Wishbone Ash, Doobie Brothers, etc.) That lasted about a
year.
Then I was out of the music scene except for living room gigs with friends until 1980,
when I relocated to Covington.
In 1982, the band "Flashback" was formed. We were now into retro hits. There was
very little money, too many drugs and too much partying. The band "disbanded"
after about 2 years. (1985)
My next gig was in the Holiday Inn Bar/Lounge. (look in my photo gallery at the white
leisure suit) There, I did solos for happy hour in the atrium for a few months. Enough
said.
My next endeavor was a solo at the Dixie Café on Gibson Street in Covington. ( All that
is left of it now is a slab.) I soloed at the "Dixie" for 3 ˝ years to the
happy hour crowd. It was there I developed many friends and contacts, including Rick
Windhorst who was in "Bad Dog" at that time. (Bad dog, heh-heh…..did he
realize at that time he would end up marrying a woman who LOVES "Bad Dogs"?!)
It was there I developed an extensive "obscure" song list. Basically, people
would request a song and I would play it or learn to play it for the next gig. There I
made the decision to front my own band, "The Rick Samson Band". We were always
busy, focusing on 60's, 70's and 80's hits. We played places like Judy's on the Hill, but
home was always the Dixie Café. There was not enough collective drive and I decided to
call it a day after 3 short years.
Shortly thereafter, during a Mardi Gras parade, I ran into Windhorst who let me know he
and Jan recently left the JJ Muggler Band. Ricky asked if I would consider joining a
"different" musical lineup, consisting of he, Jan and Will Cullen. I told him
I'd think about it.
We rehearsed one living room session and the rest is history.