Rickey Medlocke

Rickey Medlocke
Rickey Medlocke performing live in 2009.
Background information
Born	(1950-02-17) February 17, 1950 (age 67) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Southern rock, hard rock
Instruments	Guitar, drums, mandolin, dobro, harmonica, keyboards, vocals
Years active	1970–present
Associated acts	Blackfoot, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Notable instruments
Gibson Explorer Gibson Les Paul

Rickey 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 1971-1972 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.

Being of Native American ancestry, specifically Lakota Sioux and Cherokee, Medlocke was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Rickey Medlocke was born on February 17, 1950, in Jacksonville, Florida. He was raised by his maternal grandparents. His grandfather, Shorty Medlocke, was a well-known Delta blues 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, Blackfoot, where he was lead vocalist and lead guitarist.

Medlocke recorded shortly 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", written by Rickey Medlocke and Blackfoot drummer Jakson Spires, along with songs written by others. He disbanded the group in the early 1990s.