Rickey Medlocke: Music Man of the People Keeping The Music Alive

Todd Beebe
2 hours ago
24 min read

By Todd Beebe

Rickey Medlocke is a true artist for the people. As an original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd and a founding member of Blackfoot, Medlocke has deep history in two iconic bands. I recently spoke with Rickey, just days before he was set to head off to Sao Paulo Brazil where Lynyrd Skynyrd kicks off a tour that will see them back on the road throughout 2026. We spoke about how incredible the Brazilian audiences are and how great it is to see the music touch fans worldwide, his early years in Jacksonville, Lynyrd Skynyrd and their time at Hell House, the stories behind tunes like Blackfoot's "Left Turn On A Red Light", how much he absolutely loves all of his fans and so much more! Rickey's very passionate about fishing too, and we talked about his current collaborations with St. Croix Rods & Seviin Reels.

Check out this video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CWub7TbYh/ Make sure you check out my 2019 interview with Rickey, where we talk about his early years, seeing Elvis and The Beatles and so much more: https://www.facebook.com/notes/377714090043366/ Thanks for a great interview Rickey! It's always great to catch up my friend.

Todd Beebe: Hey Rickey! Always great to see you and catch up!

Rickey Medlocke: Todd, good to see you as well my friend! How are you?

TB: Great! So, you're about to head down to Brazil to kick start a huge tour right?

RM: Yeah man! The Skynyrd band, we've got us an exciting year coming up here! We take off Monday and we fly into, I think South Palo. We're doing, I think, five cities within nine days. We're going to be with Guns N' Roses on a couple of shows, and it'll be fun to see those guys and hang with them for a few nights, you know? Then we've got individual shows that we're playing with opening acts over there. We do really, really good down in South America! They love Skynyrd's music! We did a thing where we had people come on the website and on Facebook and make their suggestion of what they would like to hear the band play while we were there, right? We gathered up all these suggested songs from all the fans and come to find out three of the biggest songs that they wanted to hear, number one was I Need You, then Still Unbroken from the God and Guns record, and Red, White and Blue. So we worked them up and it looks like we're going to end up doing them in the show, which we hope makes people really happy! We're just so excited to be able to go back down there and play for those people.

TB: So, are there any drastic differences between American audiences and Brazilian audiences? It's so great how we all bond through the music!

RM: Well, I'll tell you what's interesting: I remember the very first time that we went, and this was back when Gary (Rossington) was alive and, you know, we didn't know what to expect. And we played a festival in South Palo and, I can't even begin to tell you how over the top it was! There were like 88,000 fans there!

TB: Wow!

RM: They knew every word to every song, and it just blew our minds! Skynyrd's music brings out this thing in fans, man! It's a big love, you know what I mean?! The people love the music, which leads me into another thing of saying that, before Gary passed it was well known to Johnny and I - He told us that he never wanted the Skynyrd music to fade out, to fade away. He said, "The people love that music that I helped create and that we created." He goes, "You guys gotta keep rolling. I want you guys to go out there, and keep this thing going for as long as you can." So after Gary's passing, of course there were a lot of business things that had to be worked out and all that stuff. But you know what? At the end of the day, Johnny and I said, "You know what man, the guy gave his life to this music. Johnny's brother did, and Alan, along with Billy and Leon. They gave their life for it. And you know what? If that's what Gary wants, we're gonna give it to him!"

TB: Absolutely! That's great Rickey.

RM: And so we went about making sure that we did what he asked. And we're really proud right now that all the fans are coming out and seeing the band, and still enjoying the music as much as we do! Oh man, I enjoy it! I'm 110 % all music! I'm 110 % all Lynyrd Skynyrd! That's the way it's going to be, for the rest of my days, which I hope is not too soon coming! I hope not!

TB: No! We definitely hope not. We hope you've got another 100 years Rickey!

RM: But I'm just enjoying going out there and performing and having a great time! And we're looking forward to seeing those fans down there!

TB: Yes! Then you guys are coming back to the States. You hit Chicago August 15th, so that'll be great! Last time I saw you was when The Rickey Medlocke Band played the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. You brought your wife out and she just destroyed the place! (Rickey's wife is Stacy Michelle, who also sings in Lynyrd Skynyrd with The Honkettes) Are we going to get some more of those shows? Of course you're pretty full with Skynyrd right now.

RM: Yeah, well, it's really hectic to be able to do my side band in the midst of Lynyrd Skynyrd. So what I always like to do, I always make sure that the Lynyrd Skynyrd thing is, you know....the tour's over and then we rehearse it. And then if we can pick up, you know, four or five, six shows to close out the year, I love doing that! I gotta tell you, it's really a pleasure to have my significant other out on the road with me in Skynyrd as one of the backing vocalists. We were glad to steal her from Kid Rock! (laughs) It's always such a great experience to be able to tour together and then to be able to do the Rickey Medlocke Band with her in there. She just brings such a quality to it!

TB: Oh, yeah! When you brought her out at the Arcada show, she just left everyone speechless! What a voice!

RM: Yes! She doesn't give herself enough credit. And she's very humble about it. She doesn't think she's that great of a singer. And she's one of those people on the backburner side. She's just an incredible talent! If I sat here and told you who all she's been associated with and sang with, it would blow you away! I mean, the list is huge! She was with Kid Rock for 15 years, Joe Walsh, when he did all the James Gang tours, she stood on stage, played guitar alongside him and did all the backing vocals. She's worked with Keith Richards and Ron Wood, Willie Nelson, the late, great Jerry Lee Lewis. I mean, the list goes on and on and on.

TB: Wow! Well all you have to do is hear her sing for about 5 seconds and it's obvious WHY she's so in demand! She's incredible!

RM: She is quite the talent. And I gotta tell you, we've been together now 17, we're into our 18th year together, and you know what? It's always better than the day before. She's quite a gal! But we're going to do some more Rickey Medlocke Band shows. We've just got to get our ducks in a row and not put ourselves under such pressure coming out of the Skynyrd shows, you know?

TB: Oh sure! Coming off the road with such a huge tour like Skynyrd and then getting right back into it with another band has to be pretty crazy! It sounds like your 2026 is pretty full right now Rickey.

RM: Oh yeah! So this year, it's us and Foreigner together. And then, after the Foreigner thing we've got two more months of dates to finish out the year and boy it will have been a whirlwind year! I'm not getting any younger! I'm only 39 you know what i mean?! (laughs)

TB: (laughs) That's right! Well, Rickey, when you take the stage, you look 25, and that's all that matters! You're playing and singing better than ever! You sound great!

RM: Thank you! Well, you know, Stacy always likes to say, "When he puts a guitar around his neck, he turns into a 17 year old!" (laughs)

TB: (laughs) Yes! And you've got some amazing guitars for sure!

RM: Yeah, I'm still playing the same old guitars that I've always played. It's really interesting to think back about all the years of collecting guitars and how I came about them. And it really blows me away and I love them all! But, one of the most special things, Gary's widow, Dale, and their daughters, gave Johnny and I.... and this is just mind blowing. Gary wanted us to have one of his Les Pauls. And boy, it just, it freaked me out. I stood there holding it and I can't tell you that I didn't get emotional over it. Really, Todd, it's been three years since he passed and it still has a huge effect on me. I don't think I'll ever get over it. I really don't. But you know what? She gave me one of Gary's Les Pauls. And I gotta tell you, I look at it every day and I just hold it in my hands. I won't even play it.

TB: Wow Rickey! What a gift! So is that guitar one you would ever consider playing live? I'm assuming not? I don't know if I would ever want to take it out.

RM: No, no. Because, he played it like no one else could play it. It's just a very special thing for me, within my family, along with my other ones: my old Explorer, my old Firebirds, old guitars period! It's gonna stay here at home and be guarded.

TB: Speaking of guitars! The last time I was with you in Chicago we talked about the Gibson Moderne you were playing. I love Modernes!

RM: Yeah! Well, nobody expected me to ever take that guitar out! All of a sudden I took it out for a whole tour! Gary was still with us and I remember when I got it, I opened it up, showed it to Gary and Gary goes, "wow!" I've got a great picture of him holding the Moderne at rehearsals, sitting down and smiling at the camera. Well, I went to play it and it sounded incredible and it played just great! So I kept it on the road for over a year or a year and a half, maybe two tours, whatever. They're great guitars!

TB: Oh yeah! I absolutely love Modernes! Everyone says they're so ugly, but that's what I love about 'em!

RM: You know what? Billy Gibbons and I had a good conversation about the Moderne, 'cause he's got one. We had a great conversation about it. When ZZ Top was out with us five or six years ago, Billy and I had some great shop talk! I've known Billy since, oh my God, '74 or '75. That leads into another story. How I met them was when the original Blackfoot was playing and trying to make something of ourselves, we ended up getting an opening slot for ZZ Top at a place called The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.

TB: Okay, sure! That place hosted some incredible shows.

RM: Yes! Well guess what? We opened that night, when they were recording the last side of Fandango. We were the opening band that night, and Billy totally remembered that! And now, for over 35 years or so, Skynyrd has had their old Road Manager, J.W. Williams. He worked with ZZ Top back then, and he's with Skynyrd now. Me and JW man, think about that! We've known each other that long! There are so many people that I go way back with. I even go way back with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. If you can even imagine this: Blackfoot got the opening slot for Kiss back in, oh God, what '75, '76, something like that. And I'll never forget the first show that we did with them! It was down south somewhere. We came on stage and when they announced our name, the lights went up and I looked and the whole audience was Kiss! I mean, the whole audience was painted like those guys! I'm like "Damn! Am I in the twilight zone or... what is going on here?!" You know?! (both laugh) And we got to be comrades with the guys in Kiss and man, if we had days I could tell you some stories! (laughs)

TB: (laughs) Well, that's one of the reasons I'm glad we're doing a Part 2 Rickey! Our first interview has been the most popular of all the ones I've done!

RM: Oh that's cool!

TB: So I knew we had to get a Zoom interview Rickey, and I'm so glad we're doing this!

RM: Yes!

TB: You talk about this at your live shows. I know it's kind of hard to analyze a song, but I've heard you say many times that Left Turn on a Red Light is one of your favorite Blackfoot songs, and I totally agree. That song never quite gets the recognition that songs like Train Train and Highway Song do. But I agree with you, that it's right there with them and just as great! Can you talk a little bit about that song and writing it?

RM: Well, Jakson (Spires) was my writing partner. We actually wrote that song in Gainesville, Florida. And, it was interesting because, to be honest with you, I always laugh now at people taking a left turn on a red light. (laughs) People down here in Fort Myers, they're notorious for it!

TB: Really?!

RM: Oh yeah! I've seen quite a few accidents where people have taken a left turn on a red light and boom, you know?! So, Jack and I came up with the title, and it's kind of a true to life story. My Grandfather was always enthralled with trains and we wrote a lot about trains, you know? So Jak and I sat down and penned that song. It was another one of those songs that we wrote, I think in 15, 20 minutes. And it just fell together great.

TB: Unbelievable! It came together that fast huh?

RM: Oh yeah! I remember I had the music. It had a drop D tuning and it was done in D minor. In the studio I played it on a '62 Strat. When that song fell together, it was so great on the record and it was getting such a big response from audiences. Even on radio, people were calling in for it. And I just thought, "it's going to be a single." Yeah, the record label dropped it. They didn't want to hear about it. After the success of Highway Song and Train Train, they wanted a new record. Well, we weren't prepared to do a new record. We had been out on the road on the Strikes tour for almost a year. And we wanted to come off the road, and get back in the studio and get back into our writing place and write another really good record. I always believed, and I still say this: we came up with the Tom Cattin' record on the road, which wasn't the place to do it. We were pushed into a new record, by the record label. We were rushed to record it, to get it out and get back on the road. I remember, between the Strikes tour, recording the Tom Cattin' record and the Tom Cattin' tour, we were on the road 22 out of 24 months. So when we finished, and that record failed at the box office, I didn't want to do that ever again. And to be really honest, the Marauder record should have been the Tom Cattin' record. Because I believe, and so do other people, that, had the Marauder album came out on the heels of Strikes, it would have been way better and much more popular. And, you know, I was a bit upset over the way we were handled.

TB: Well, understandably so. No artist likes to be pushed or work under time restraints. That pressure kills creativity.

RM: Right! Look, I understand business is business, and I get all that. But, not only me, there's a lot of other bands and a lot of other artists that can relate to what I'm saying. Because you don't like to be pushed. You don't like to be hurried. You know what I mean? You're trying to create. You don't like that. And so you know what, man? There's a part of me that is still bothered, to this day, to remember how they handled us. They did not handle us well. Look, that's something I'll never forget. I mean, everybody expected Left Turn On a Red Light to be the follow-up single to Train Train.

TB: Yeah, whenever you play that song live, the audience just lights up! What an incredible tune!

RM: Oh yeah! Look, I don't begrudge anybody. I love going out and seeing the reaction to certain tunes like that. Because then that solidifies within you, what should have been, you know what I mean?

TB: Right!

RM: Hey, I'll live with it. That's good. I'm in a better place in my life. I'm in a GREAT place in my life! I have a great family. I got a great lady, and a great daughter. I'm in one of the world's biggest southern rock bands that ever were. I'm grateful that I was there in the very beginning, as the drummer of the band. And you know, of course the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they don't recognize that. And to be really honest with you, not only myself, but Johnny Van Zant, both of us should be in that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

TB: Absolutely!

RM: Johnny's been there since 1987, back when they did the Tribute tour, and he's been with that band and associated with it since 1987! Almost 40 years! And I've been associated with the band for over 32 years. You know what I mean? And I was with the original group. But for some reason, we don't get recognized.

TB: I agree 100% Rickey. White Dove, Preacher's Daughter and so many other tunes you wrote and played with the original band. In our first interview, we went real in depth on your time with the early Skynyrd. I wasn't going to bring up the Rock Hall Rickey, but you did! (both laugh) It's so wrong to me and a disgrace that they won't acknowledge your and Johnny's contributions to Lynyrd Skynyrd. I don't understand.

RM: Todd, think about something: My really good friends Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Bad Company gets nominated and gets put in The Rock Hall of Fame. That should've happened so many years ago!

TB: Definitely!

RM: They should have been put in when Mick Ralphs (Bad Company guitarist) was still alive, bless his heart. He was such a kind gentleman, man. I loved being around him! I got to stand on stage and play next to him, and it just blows my mind that Bad Company, even Free aren't in!

TB: Oh yeah! With all the players Paul Kossoff (Free Guitarist) has influenced, Free should definitely be in.

RM: Yeah! I talk to Simon Kirke every once in a while and I tell him, it blows my mind. How could those guys not have been in that Rock Hall of Fame way before now?!

TB: Yeah, the whole thing needs to be redone, that's for sure.

RM: Well, it is what it is, and we just keep right on going. I'm proud just to be able to get on stage and do what I do. I feel very blessed and very honored and very fortunate to have been in two great Southern bands, much less one. Not a lot of people are able to say they've done that, but I've done it. And I feel very fortunate and blessed over it.

TB: Well, that's a great attitude Rickey! That's one of the things we all love about you! So the last time you and I hung out was when your band played at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. That show was incredible! I want to talk to you a bit about the band that backed you up, Them Pesky Kids. Mark Woerpel is in that band, and you've played with him for years I know. They do an amazing job backing you up and I know they do their own thing too. Let's talk about how playing shows with all of those guys came about.

RM: Well, Mark and I have been playing together since the original Blackfoot came down, and I kept the band going. Mark was my guitar player forever. He had a group called Warp Drive that I helped produce. Over the years, when Skynyrd would do a tour and it was coming to an end, I didn't want to go home! I wanted to stay on the road! Skynyrd would do 8,200 shows and I'd go, "what, that's it?!" Gary used to say, "Boy, you are nuts! You've got way, way too much energy!" So I'd been saying, for all these years, man, I've got to have something to do when Skynyrd comes off the road! My gal will tell you, "yeah, he has to have something to do!" Well, I love to fish. That's one of my big passions. Especially when you live down in Florida. There's some of the best fishing in the world! But you can only fish so much, right?! So I called Mark one day and said "Mark, I have an idea! What if I put myself in your band, Them Pesky Kids, and we took it out and we played a Blackfoot show? And he said, "Wow, okay! That's a great idea! Let me talk to the rest of the band." So he went and talked to them and they loved the idea! So we went about rehearsing it a lot. We had to build it from the ground up, you know? But finally it happened! We took it out and just had a blast!

TB: Yeah, those shows are incredible! So many of us love hearing those classic Blackfoot tunes from you as well as the cover tunes you throw in. Those shows are really great!

RM: Thank you! And yeah, so, with that being said, Mark and I've already been on the phone with management and agencies and I think you're going to be seeing more coming up!

TB: Oh that's fantastic! Great to hear! So Rickey, let's go back to those early days of Lynyrd Skynyrd. I'm sure you've been asked this a million times, but what are your memories of Hell House? (Hell House was a small house where Lynyrd Skynyrd practiced daily, for multiple hours)

RM: Well, my memories of it....first of all, when I joined Skynyrd, the first place that we were rehearsing was a shack. And at the time, the original bass player, Larry Junstrom was living there. This was in Green Cove Springs, I believe. But then all of a sudden we ended up getting the little property out there on a big bunch of land where you had a bunch of cows. Black Creek ran behind it where we would fish. There were a lot of snakes and gators around. And I gotta tell you, when we named it Hell House, that's exactly what it was! (laughs) The little place had an air conditioner in it that blew out warm air. At least one of us would volunteer to stay every night because we would rehearse- this is no joke, and this is no story- 10, 12, 14 hours a day. And that's why Skynyrd was so perfected. And we'd take breaks and go out and fish in Black Creek while we were writing and rehearsing and stuff. Then one of us volunteered to stay the night. Well, there was a time when it was my turn. So I would always sleep with my head in the kick drum. I would sleep on the floor. It was hot, you know? And, I remember one day, I was still asleep and Ronnie and all the guys came over and that Alan, man, he was always full of piss and vinegar! And he snuck behind the kick drum and stomped on the foot pedal and I jumped up and hit my head on the kick drum! I was like, "you s*!*?!!!!" (both laugh) And he's just laughing and laughing! But we were always full of it like that anyway! But Hell House, let me tell you something: when it gets to be summertime in Florida, (laughs) it gets hot and it gets humid! No wonder we were skinny guys, you know!? (both laugh) The sweat poured off of us! I'd get home at night to my Mom and Dad's, and I was exhausted! No matter how much home cooking my Mom would do, it didn't fatten me up!

TB: That's great! Thanks for sharing the stories Rickey. It's always great to hear, first hand, from someone who was there. It's such a shame that Hell House was torn down years ago. It would've been nice to turn that place into a museum, or at least keep it standing. The music you all created in there was really something, and I think you can hear that perfection you all shared putting all those hours in, day after day.

RM: Hell House was such a soulful place and such magic was created there. And you know, not only do I get asked about Hell House, but my biggest question people ask me still today is "What was it like to work next to Ronnie Van Zant?" And my direct answer is "Ronnie and I never had a tiff." Ronnie was really, to be honest with you, inside, he was a beautiful guy. That guy, he had a gift from God like I'd never seen. He could put into words... I always explained it like an artist sitting down at an easel and painting a picture. Ronnie could paint a picture with his words that you could see in your mind. There's been very few people that could do that. Bob Seger is one of them. The Beatles were one. I mean, there've been very few people that could do that. And Ronnie was great at that. And my days with him were just, I loved it! Along with Gary and Alan. Alan man, I just loved watching him and loved his guitar playing. He, along with myself, were big Eric Clapton fans! You know, I've often wondered if I'm ever going to be able to meet Eric Clapton here, you know? All I want to do is shake his hand and say "Thank you for what you've done, and for the music that you've created." He's been such a big influence on my guitar playing.

TB: Oh yeah! In the Blues/Rock world, Eric Clapton's influence is undeniable when all roads are traced back. Even many who don't realize it are heavily influenced by him, often through another player. Speaking of influential players, growing up in the Jacksonville area, the Allman Brothers and Duane Allman and Dickey Betts had a huge influence there. We've spoken a bit about this before. What influence did you feel from those guys?

RM: Well, in Jacksonville there was a band that Berry and Dickey were part of, along with a keyboard player named Reese (Wynans- future player for Stevie Ray Vaughan) and Dickey's wife at the time, I think her name was Dale. They had a band called The Second Coming, and I used to go see them all the time! Then The Allman brothers (Duane and Gregg) came to town and they played in town as The Allman Joys. They would play The Comic Book Club, like we did. So at that time, back in the day, there used to be these gatherings in Jacksonville where all these musicians would come together with their equipment and put up all their equipment together, which was like a wall. And we had these things called "Be Ins." "You're gonna Be In", you know!? And these jam sessions would last three, four hours out in different places around the town. It was unbelievable! I went to almost every one of 'em! And you could slowly but surely tell, boy, when Duane Allman would come to town, oh man! His popularity had already started gaining ground! And when he would come to town and join them at the "Be Ins", him and Gregg.... wow! And a guitar player named Larry Reinhardt had a band called The Load. He went on to play with Captain Beyond. Larry Reinhardt was also in The Second Coming. I'm telling you: that was the baddest ass band! I got to be kind of close with Berry Oakley. What a sweetheart of a guy!

TB: Berry was a Chicago guy. He originally came from up here.

RM: Yes, right! So, Larry Reinhart broke off and he started this three piece band called The Load. And I will tell you what: talking about badass? BADASS! And then it left the opening for Duane and Gregg to settle themselves into it. Then they all joined together and Butch Trucks (drummer) came. I guess, you know, Duane had known them and with Gregg, that pulled them all in. The house where they rehearsed was in Riverside. Well, here I was trying to play to make a living, but I had to take on another job and I ended up working for the city of Jacksonville. I ran a tricycle lawnmower that you sat up in the seat, and had a big rotor under you, and a powerful engine. I mean, this thing would haul ass! So, I'm coming down the road one day in Riverside and here comes Berry. I pulled over and I said, "Berry, how are you doing?" He said, "Great man! We're getting ready to go to New York City to record our first record!" He said, "We're going to Atlantic Studios. We're going to record it there." Well, I'd always gone over to where they were rehearsing. I would sit out on the porch at certain times and listen to them work those songs up.

TB: Wow Rickey! That's really something!

RM: It was The Second Coming's old house that they rented and they fixed up the dining room. They put egg crates up and blankets, you know? It was created right there! And they've got a plaque now that marks that house.

TB: Unbelievable! That's another great story Rickey! Thanks for sharing that. Now I know earlier we were talking about how much you love to fish and some things you're involved in related to that.

RM: Well, I just started a new project. I love to fish! So, I'm associated with St. Croix Rods & Seviin Reels. And I'm also associated with Missile Baits. I just did a quick video that you can see on the Skynyrd page or the Rickey Medlocke or Them Pesky Kids Pages, or on my website, advertising all of it. (Check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CWub7TbYh/) I'm very passionate about fishing. I love the sport and so, that's another project that I've gotten myself into! Stacey will say I can't sit still, you know?! (laughs)

TB: (laughs) That's great Rickey! Yeah busy is good, it's great to live a full life, and you certainly do! So, we spoke a lot about your Grandaddy, Shorty Medlocke in our first interview. I wanted to talk to you about bringing him into the studio to record the intros on Train Train, Fox Chase and other tunes. What are your memories of having Shorty in the studio with you? (Shorty played harmonica and spoke the intros to several Blackfoot songs)

RM: Well, he had always recorded, back in the day, old school. The band gathered around one microphone and they turned the tape on and it was maybe a two tracker. In his day, believe it or not, they cut everything on an acetate. They cut it at that particular moment they cut the record!

TB: Wow! So you had to make sure you had the songs down in those days!

RM: Yes! They cut the template and then the old records were made from that. And so when we brought him in, it was so funny! We brought him in to blow on Train Train. I said, "Daddy, get over here at this mic now." And we're right there on the other side of the glass in the control room. I think it was me and Jak and maybe Greg and Charlie were there. I can't remember. I said, "When we point at you, you'll hear us count through the talk back. We'll go one, two, three, four, and you start playing. Blow the intro." Well, we did it and he blew it and he says, "I don't think I did quite a great job on it. Can I try that one more time?" And I said, "Well, yeah, Daddy, we'll just put you on another track." He says "Another track? What does that mean?" I said, "Daddy, you've got 24 tracks here. We can put you on as many as it takes." He goes, "What! You gotta be kidding!" We had him blow it again, and he said, "I like that one, but let me do it again. You got another one of them tracks?" I said, "Yeah, Daddy, we got plenty of tracks!" He blew it again. So we brought him into the control room and we played him four different takes. It blew his mind! He saw the Neve console sitting there and he looked behind and saw the Studer machines, you know, the 2 inch tape! He was just dumbstruck! And then, to his friends, he got a bragging point! He said "Oh yeah! I was down there at BJ's studios! They got this big console thing and this 24 track tape machine there! It's unbelievable!" (both laugh) It blew his mind, you know?! But that's what you hear on the record.

TB: That's so great- I love it!

RM: We took him on the road with us a couple of times and he would come out and he would play! And it was really incredible! It really was. And I was so happy to have him out there with us, man. I got some great pictures of him on stage with us. I miss him to this day.

TB: Well, thanks for sharing that story, Rickey. The first interview we did, we wrapped it up with your thoughts and appreciation of your fans, which was beautiful. So, I want to sort of end with a connection to that. I've interviewed a ton of artists and everyone that sees and reads these says, "Man, Rickey's such a great guy!" Everybody loves you Rickey. You're the real deal, down-to-earth, and humble. (Rickey folds his hands and mouths "Thank You!") Obviously, you know more than any of us do, in this business, that's not always the case with everyone! So, we thank you for that. So, what keeps you so well grounded?

RM: Well, you know, many years ago, I learned from the greatest man I've ever known, which was my Granddaddy Shorty Medlocke. I watched how he did stuff when he was playing professionally and how he handled people who'd come up to him. And my Granddaddy had a great old saying. He said "A bird doesn't fly so high that it has to come down." And he goes, "When you come down, you either come down soft or you come down hard. And if you come down hard, you're done. Be humble. Keep your feet flat on the ground. You're no better than anybody else." And I've always remembered that. I love talking to people and if I've got the time, I will stand and talk. I love meeting people. I gotta be honest with you, Todd, I give everything to the fans. Without them, you and I probably wouldn't be here talking today. And you know what? A lot of times I don't think enough credit about artists is given to the fans. I watch a lot of documentaries on artists, and I wait for that moment in the documentaries, for them to say something about the fans. And they never do. So, hey, for you people that's going to watch and read this, and if you're an artist, just remember that, 'cause you can be up flying high one day and the next day, boom, come down! And I've experienced that a couple of times! So, don't burn bridges, because the bridge you've got to come back over, if you burn that bridge, you can't go back over it can you?!

TB: Thanks Rickey, that's a great message for sure. So, August 15th, Skynyrd is hitting Chicago. I'll see you there! It's always great to talk to you and catch up Rickey, so thanks!

RM: Always Todd! My pleasure!

TB: Safe travels to Brazil and on the road for sure!

RM: You got it, Brother! Hey, my best to everybody and all the fans out there and you know what? Go out every day and live it like it's your last!

TB: Right! Great advice! Thanks, Rickey! I'll see ya!

RM: See you, Todd! Bye!