Rich Ward
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| Rich 'The Duke' Ward | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 16th,1969 (Age 39) |
| Origin |  Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Genre(s) | Alternative metal Rapcore |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist Guitarist Composer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals Guitar |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Label(s) | Century Media Records (1994-2000) Megaforce Records (2000-2002) Spitfire Records (2004-2006) Psalms of the Ward (2006-2008) Napalm Records (2008-present) |
| Associated acts | Stuck Mojo Fozzy Sick Speed Cafu |
| Website | dukerocks.com stuckmojo.us fozzyrock.com |
Richard Park Ward (January 16th, 1969) is an American guitarist, also known by his stage name, The Duke. Rich is best known as the founding member of Stuck Mojo, a popular and highly influential underground rap-metal band of the 90s, but he is also known as the lead guitarist for the heavy metal band, Fozzy.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Atlanta, Rich grew up listening to many Indie style soundtracks as that was all that was available to him. After his parents' divorce, Rich's mother's work schedule would usually become rather hectic and subsequently, she hired a college student to look after him and his sister. According to Rich himself, the student would often bring over heavy metal and hard rock albums from bands such as AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden to name a few. Rich from this point had his views on music completely altered as for the first time, he had found music that clicked with him. Rich began learning guitar at age 12, borrowing a friend's guitar over the weekends, practicing different chords that he picked up from his friend.
[edit] Early career
In 1989, Rich formed Stuck Mojo along with friends, Dwane Fowler and lead singer, Bonz. The first six years of the band consisted of touring the club circuit of the East Coast of the U.S. Rich often recalls his life at that point, sleeping in his rehearsal space due to not being able to afford rooms upstairs anymore and focusing mainly on the live act.
Stuck Mojo, after finally receiving a recording contract with Century Media, released its debut album, Snappin' Necks. Although the album found little mainstream success, it went on to influence many popular rap-metal bands of today, such as Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit. In 1996, in preparation for their first overseas tour, the band released the European-only EP, Violated. That same year, Stuck Mojo released its second album, Pigwalk. This album performed fairly the same as the previous one, however, many critics and musicians alike consider this album to be the defining milestone of rap-metal. In 1998, Stuck Mojo released Rising.
Tensions began to grow with the band system, the band itself already going through a number of line-up changes. The main focus of this was the relationship between Rich and lead singer, Bonz. Rich has stated in interviews that it once escalated to the point when they weren't even talking to each other anymore, only having one common goal, that being the band.
In 2000, Stuck Mojo released Declaration of a Headhunter. The band had slowly been crumbling during the process of the recording and release of the album. Rich recalls, "That album was basically done with duck tape, we didn't even have a working band." The bands' relationship with Century Media, both mutual and business, had also been deteriorating, to the point where Rich disbanded the band a while after releasing the album.
[edit] Post Stuck Mojo
In 1999, Rich formed Sick Speed, with singer and guitarist Dale Steele, Mojo bassist Dan Dryden and Mojo drummer Frank Fontsere. The same year, Rich had formed the heavy metal mock band, Fozzy. Fozzy's first two albums, Fozzy and Happenstance mainly consisted of covers of 70's and 80's metal bands. Their third album, All That Remains, consisted entirely of originals, however, two of the songs, The Test and The Way I Am, had been written by Rich during his time with Sick Speed, which disbanded in 2004. The reason for releasing a full original album was noted by Rich, "Ultimately it came to the time of the third album that we had to decide what we are, we're either a joke or we're a really good joke with good songs"
In early 2005, performing under The Duke, Rich released My Kung Fu is Good, his debut solo album with Spitfire Records, which grew off demos that he had recorded the previous year and performances at the Atlanta Music Conference.
[edit] Today
Rich reformed Stuck Mojo with Bonz and Frank Fontsere in 2005, alongside new bassist Sean Delson. Rich stated that he and Bonz had patched things up over recent years and regained the desire to want to write and release records. Stuck Mojo started a tour of Europe and then of the U.S. However, the mindset with Bonz only lasted into early 2006, where the band finally came to the decision to give him two options. Substance abuse is attributed to the previously damaged relationship between Rich and Bonz. Bonz was to either go into rehab or he would be forced to step down as lead singer.
Bonz responded with a compromise that he would work on the addiction himself. Rich cited this as too big a risk, fueled by the then-recent deaths of other musicians in metal bands. Bonz left the band and was replaced by his friend, Lord Nelson.
Stuck Mojo today is known most by their 2006 song, Open Season, which sparked controversy in the American media in general.
Open Season is part of the album that Bonz and Rich had originally collaborated on in the reformation of Stuck Mojo, Southern Born Killers. However, due to Bonz' sudden departure from the band, Rich was forced to re-record the album with vocalist Lord Nelson, guitarist Mike Martin, bassist Sean Delson and drummer Rodney Beaubouef (Frank Fontsere departed in December, 2005). Stuck Mojo is set to begin a tour of Europe early 2008. In early 2008, Stuck Mojo signed with Napalm Records who then planned to re-release Southern Born Killers along with three new tracks. The album was released internationally on February 29th.
[edit] Personal Life
Ward was previously married to professional wrestler Daffney.
[edit] Discography
- Stuck Mojo
- Snappin' Necks (1995)
- Violated (EP, 1996)
- Pigwalk (1996)
- Rising (1998)
- HVY1 (Live, 1999)
- Declaration Of A Headhunter (2000)
- Violate This (2001)
- Southern Born Killers (2007)
- Sick Speed
- The Way I Am (2002)
- Fozzy
- Fozzy (2000)
- Happenstance (2002)
- All That Remains (2005)
- Solo
- My Kung Fu is Good (2005)
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