Rick Devin

Rick Devin Biography
by Carl Cunningham
"My musical journey has taken many unpredictable paths over the past three decades, yet regardless of the environment or the trends, I have always tried to just be 'myself'. Whether I was playing cowboy music around a campfire, or creating crossover techno in a studio somewhere, my music is always motivated by where my mind, heart and soul are at that time." – Rick Devin
From crooning Americana cowboy to classic rocker to ambient, pop instrumentalist, Rick Devin has just about done it all.
Now entering his fourth decade as a working musician, having played thousands of gigs in a multitude of countries on four continents and performing with some of music's biggest names, Rick followed up his 2008 triple-GRAMMY Entry, "Old School – Hits of the 60s & 70s", with "Arcadia - A Return to Distant Lands", a 2010 double-GRAMMY Entry and his second foray into ambient, pop instrumental and World music.
Born in Massachusetts in 1960, Rick's childhood was filled with family sing-a-longs and music. Rick started playing guitar at nine years old and had written over two dozen original songs by the age of 13. He began performing with the junior high stage band and played shows locally with his own five-piece band.
Rick's music career began to take off in the early 1980's when he made his first television appearance as a guest on "The Glen Campbell Christmas Special". He then became a "Cowboy Singer" and developed a family oriented acoustic campfire show in 1985. As the 90s came along, Rick formed two bands and toured the western United States. Five years later, Rick joined Michael Martin Murphey at WestFest, where Rick performed for 6 years. Together Murphey & Devin opened "The Singing Cowboy Ranch" in Nathrop, Colorado in 2001, the same year Rick was nominated for WMA "Entertainer of the Year."
Since 1982, Rick Devin has won, or been nominated for, numerous music industry and songwriter awards and has opened for, or performed alongside with Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, Loretta Lynn, Joe Cocker, Pat and Debbie Boone, Minnie Pearl, Kris Kristofferson, Pete Seeger, Bill Miller, Suzy Bogguss, and Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) and countless other influential and well known musical acts.
Rick is currently recording his 9th solo CD project "Old School - 2", featuring: Chris Pitman (Guns N' Roses, Lusk), Chet McCracken (Doobie Brothers, Joe Walsh), Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (Guns N' Roses), Chris Pinnick (Chicago, Three Dog Night), Philip Donnelly (John Prine, Donovan, Johnny Cash, Everly Brothers), Stuart Lawrence (Donovan) & many more.
Whatever musical phase of life that he's in, Rick Devin has given the music world his best since taking the stage in 1972. As he prepares to record his ninth solo album, Rick's future music is sure to be as expansive and grand as the American West he loves so much, and as fantastical and inspiring as the distant lands of his recent ambient, pop instrumental releases.
Whether you are a fan of Rick Devin's Cowboy music, his classic rock releases or his ethereal and awe-inspiring World music, we all eagerly await what new musical directions and adventures this veteran melody maker, multi-instrumentalist and master balladeer will take us on in the future.
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[Carl Cunningham is a Texas based freelance music journalist who has written biographies and feature stories about artists such as Elton John, Neil Young, Tracy Byrd, Foo Fighters, Little Richard, Dido, Willie Nelson, Peter Frampton, Merle Haggard, Janis Joplin's band Big Brother & the Holding Co., Chuck Berry and many more.]Tracy Byrd, Foo Fighters, Little Richard, Dido, Willie Nelson, Peter Frampton, Merle Haggard, Janis Joplin's band Big Brother & the Holding Co., Chuck Berry and many more.