Rickie Simpkins
| Rickie Simpkins | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 10, 1955 Montgomery County, Virginia |
| Genres | Bluegrass music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Violin, mandolin |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Pinecastle, Doobie Shea |
| Associated acts | Tony Rice Unit, Continental Divide, Lonesome River Band |
| Website | rickiesimpkins |
Rickie Simpkins is an American fiddler and mandolinist in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his solo albums and his work with the Lonesome River Band and the Seldom Scene.
Simpkins was raised in Christiansburg, Virginia, southwest of Roanoke. He learned fiddle at age six and played in a show with with Flatt and Scruggs at age nine. Simpkins also learned banjo and guitar at a young age. Simpkins and his brother Ronnie played in a family group, and eventually joined the bluegrass band Upland Express, releasing an album on Leather Records in 1979. Other members included his brother Ronnie (bass), Ken Farmer (guitar), Barry Collins (banjo), and Tonya Gibson (mandolin).
When he graduated from high school, Simpkins joined the McPeak Brothers as a full-time member, and continued with them into the early 1980s. Members were Simpkins (mandolin, fidddle), Mike McPeak (guitar), Dewey McPeak (banjo), Jim Buchanan (fiddle), Phil Gazell (harmonica), Jerry Douglas (resonator guitar), and Larry McPeak (bass).
In 1981, Simpkins joined the band Heights of Grass, which evolved into the Virginia Squires. Members included Rickie Simpkins (fiddle, mandolin), his brother Ronnie Simpkins (bass), Sammy Shelor (guitar, banjo), and Mark Newton (guitar). 1984, they were voted Bluegrass Band of the Year by the Country Music Association of Virginia. They broke up in 1989, but in 2016 and 2017 got together for reunion shows.
Simpkins joined the Tony Rice Unit in 1983, who combined traditional bluegrass and jazz. Besides Rice and Simpkins, other members included Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin), Wyatt Rice (guitar), and Ronnie Simpkins (bass). Simpkins also played in Tony's brother Wyatt Rice's band. Simpkins joined David Parmley, Scott Vestal and Continental Divide to record the album "Feel Good Day.
In 2000, Simpkins joined the Lonesome River Band and in 2001, joined gospel group the Isaacs, splitting his time between the two ensembles. In 2002, Simpkins toured with the Gaithers and in 2007, Simpkins also began touring with Emmylou Harris and her Red Dirt Boys.
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