RICK TAYLOR

Rick was born in Red Oak, Iowa in January 1953, but grew up in Tabor, Iowa. Rick’s Dad was a heavy equipment construction worker and his mother was a dance instructor all over Southwest Iowa.  Music filled the Taylor home and Rick’s two older brothers were both musically talented.  In 1966 Rick received his first drum set at age 13. Soon, he was performing with all the local garage bands. When Rick was 13, his older brothers took him to a concert in Omaha that featured Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, and Buck Owens and The Buckaroos.  Rick said in his head, “Someday I’ll play drums for those guys!”  When Rick turned 15, a new weekly TV Program that featured  lots of comedy and the top Country Music stars of the day, made it’s debut as “Hee Haw”.Rick made up his mind that someday he’d be playing drums for Buck Owens.  At age 16, Rick joined his older brother’s band, The Blue Strings, performing 6 nights per week in Shenandoah, Iowa, at the popular Blue Spur, performing Classic Country hits as he paid his dues. Then in July 1972, Rick was offered a job performing at the popular Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee, so he loaded up his drums and flew to his audition there.  Rick aced his audition and teamed up with The Nashville Silver Strings for 4 years. Then in 1976, Rick was invited to join The Jack Greene and Jeannie Seely Show on the road with their touring band, The Renegades. Two years later, in July of 1978, Rick was hired by Buck Owns and The Buckaroos, with whom he performed globally for the next three years. Rick left Buck’s employment  when he was offered a singing spot with a new trio named Nightstreets who earned the Billboard Magazine Award for Best New Vocal Group in 1981 for their hit song “Love In The Meantime”. Nightstreets became the opening act for the George Jones / Tammy Wynette road shows as they toured cross country. Rick played drums and sang backup on a George Jones cut and a Tammy Wynette song featured on the movie soundtrack  from “The Night The Lights Went  Out In Georgia”, starring Mark Hamill of Starwars Fame and Dennis Quaid.  Rick has performed on package shows with the top names in Country Music from Reba McIntyre, to George Straight. Dottie West, Willie Nelson, Bob Luman, Pee Wee King, Ernest Tubb, Tex Ritter, Roy Acuff, Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Oak Ridge Boys, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, Marty Robbins, Emmy lou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, The Kendalls, Merle Haggard, Charlie Pride, Ray Price, Johnny Paycheck, and many, many more.  It’s 
great to be back performing with old friends, Tom Campbell and Mike Streeter. When they heard about the flood devastation incurred in their old stomping grounds,  of Southwest Iowa’s Fremont, Mills and Page Counties, they decided to do something about it. This album is being marketed to help raise awareness and funds for the children caught in the Spring and Summer Flooding that need help acquiring their fall school supplies and beyond!