Ricochet (band)
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| Ricochet | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Oklahoma, United States |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Years active | 1993-present |
| Label(s) | Columbia, Cowtown |
| Associated acts | Montgomery Gentry |
| Website | http://www.ricochetonline.com |
| Members | |
| Greg Cook Dwayne Dupuy Kenny Lewis Troy Nelson Heath Wright |
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| Former members | |
| Jeff Bryant Junior Bryant Teddy Carr Tim Chewning Shannon Farmer Eddie Kilgallon Keith Mellington Marty Mitchell Steve Paxton |
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Ricochet is an American country music band whose members hail from the state of Oklahoma. The band was founded in 1993 by brothers Jeff Bryant (drums, vocals) and Junior Bryant (fiddle, mandolin), along with Greg Cook (bass guitar, trumpet, vocals), Teddy Carr (steel guitar, Dobro), Eddie Kilgallon (keyboards, rhythm guitar, saxophone, vocals), and Heath Wright (lead vocals, lead guitar, fiddle).
After several years of playing throughout the Southern United States, Ricochet was signed to a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1996. Their self-titled debut album produced three straight Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, including the Number One single "Daddy's Money"; the album was also certified gold in the United States.
The band followed its debut album with 1997's Blink of an Eye, which also produced several hits on the country music charts. A third album, titled What a Ride, was slated for release in 1997, but was not released; however, their 2000 album What You Leave Behind contained tracks from this cancelled album. After being dropped from Columbia in 2001, Ricochet released a live album on an independent label.
Ricochet's membership has changed significantly over time. Of the original six members, only Greg Cook and Heath Wright remain, alongside Dwayne Dupuy (vocals, keyboards, trumpet), Kenny Lewis (vocals, guitar), Troy Nelson (harmony vocals, drums).
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[edit] Beginnings
Ricochet was founded in 1993 by brothers Jeff and Junior Bryant, who at the time were members of a band called Lariat, in which Jeff played drums, and Junior played fiddle and mandolin. The two brothers had invited lead singer Heath Wright to join Lariat; although the other members of Lariat disbanded not long afterward, the Bryant brothers and Wright decided to form a new group known as Ricochet.[1]
The three members held auditions to recruit additional members, finalizing in 1994 with a six-piece lineup composed of Jeff, Junior, and Heath, as well as Teddy Carr (steel guitar), Greg Cook (bass guitar, vocals), and Eddie Kilgallon (keyboards, rhythm guitar, saxophone, vocals). Under this lineup, Ricochet toured throughout the Southern United States, where they soon became known for their high-energy, mainsteam country music sound.[1]
[edit] 1996-1997: Major-label debut
Through the help of the band's manager, Ricochet was recommended to Blake Chancey, an A&R director for the Columbia Records label. By 1996, Ricochet been signed to a recording contract with the label; in addition, they were signed as an opening act for Doug Stone, Charlie Daniels and Merle Haggard.[1][2]
Ricochet's debut album, also titled Ricochet, was released in 1996. The song "What Do I Know" served as its lead-off single, and was a Top Ten hit on the Billboard country music charts. It was followed by "Daddy's Money" (their only Number One hit to date) and "Love Is Stronger Than Pride", also a Top Ten.[1] The album remained on the Top Country Albums charts for more than a year, and was certified gold in the United States.
[edit] 1997-1999: Blink of an Eye and What a Ride
Ricochet's second album, Blink of an Eye, was released in 1997. Although its lead-off single, "He Left a Lot to Be Desired", was a Top 20 hit, the album did not perform as well as its predecessor.[1] A third album for Columbia, tenatively titled What a Ride, was recorded in 1998; although three of its singles entered the country charts, the album was not released.[2]
[edit] 2000-present
A bout of carpal tunnel syndrome forced Jeff Bryant to leave the group in 1999; he was replaced by Tim Chewning on drums.[2] Around the same time, Shannon Farmer took over for former steel guitarist Teddy Carr. With the new members in place, Ricochet recorded the album What You Leave Behind in 2000; included on it were several tracks from the unreleased What a Ride, most notably their cover of Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road".[1] Two of the songs that were newly recorded for What You Leave Behind were also released as singles before the band exited Columbia's roster in 2000.[2] A live album, titled The Live Album, was issued in 2004 on the independent Cowtown Records label.
[edit] Former members
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (December 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Ricochet has featured several different members since its inception in 1993. The former members are listed below, in alphabetical order.
- Jeff Bryant - drums, background vocals (1993-1999)
- Junior Bryant - fiddle, mandolin (1993-2002)
- Teddy Carr - steel guitar, Dobro (1993-2000)
- Tim Chewning - drums (1999-2001)
- Shannon Farmer - steel guitar, rhythm guitar, background vocals (2000-2006)
- Eddie Kilgallon - keyboards, rhythm guitar, saxophone, background vocals (1993-2001)
- Keith Mellington - drums (2001-2003?)
- Marty Mitchell - drums
- Steve Paxton - keyboards
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Title | Label | US Country | US Heat | US 200 | RIAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Ricochet | Columbia Nashville | 14 | 1 | 101 | Gold |
| 1997 | Blink of an Eye | 24 | 9 | |||
| 1998 | What a Ride | Unreleased | ||||
| 2000 | What You Leave Behind | 71 | ||||
| 2004 | The Live Album | Cowtown | ||||
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "What Do I Know" | 5 | Ricochet |
| "Daddy's Money" | 1 | ||
| "The Star-Spangled Banner" | 58 | ||
| "Love Is Stronger Than Pride" | 9 | Ricochet | |
| 1997 | "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow"A | 43 | |
| "Ease My Troubled Mind" | 20 | Ricochet | |
| "He Left a Lot to Be Desired" | 18 | Blink of an Eye | |
| "Blink of an Eye" | 39 | ||
| 1998 | "Connected at the Heart" | 44 | |
| "Honky Tonk Baby" | 58 | What a Ride | |
| "Can't Stop Thinkin' 'Bout That" | 52 | ||
| "Seven Bridges Road" | 48 | What a Ride / What You Leave Behind | |
| 2000 | "Do I Love You Enough" | 45 | What You Leave Behind |
| "She's Gone" | 48 |
- ARicochet's renedition of "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" charted on four separate occasions as a Christmas single. It reached a peak of #43 in 1997; #44 in 1998; #47 in 1999; and #39 in 2000.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Ricochet biography. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ a b c d Ricochet biography. Oldies.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-03.
