Stephen Rickard grew up in Sheffield, Alabama, the town right next to Muscle Shoals, one of the most-noted music cities in our time, so he was greatly influenced by the local sounds and artists there. While growing up, Stephen took interest in the guitar, and his father taught him how to play and bought him his first electric guitar. Interested in all types of music, Stephen played trombone in high school and later in the college band. He started writing songs when he was 15. While attending college, he got a degree in Commercial Music. He worked at Broadway Sound Studios as an intern and later became the studio manager, responsible for booking sessions, being an overall gopher, and helping in day to day operations, both for the studio and the publishing company there. He worked with Percy Sledge, Kenny Price and several other artists during his time there and got to know a lot of the local musicians and studio owners. He has been a member of the Muscle Shoals Music Association. Aside from music, Stephen is also a gifted photographer.

Stephen has recently started devoting more time to music and writing, which includes setting up a home studio, joining the Georgia Music Industry Association, and also becoming a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association. His ultimate goal is to continue to improve his songwriting and to have a song recorded by a major artist.
 

Stephen Rickard songs:

• "What Would Andy Do"
  Vocals - Stephen Rickard, Camille Scoggins
  Keyboard - Hugh Hession
  Guitar and Bass - Joey Stuckey
  Drums - Tim Alexander
  Recording Engineer/Producer - Joey Stuckey at Shadow Sound Studio
  Mastered by Shadow Sound Studio

• "It's Hell Growing Old"
  Vocals - Stephen Rickard
  Keyboard - Hugh Hession
  Guitar and Bass - Joey Stuckey
  Drums - Tim Alexander
  Recording Engineer/Producer - Joey Stuckey at Shadow Sound Studio
  Mastered by Shadow Sound Studio

Senate Records' songwriter has song on new GMIA CD

The GMIA CD started about a year and a half ago as a fund-raising idea for the Georgia Music Industry Association. The members were asked to submit two songs for consideration and the best 19 songs were chosen by the board of directors. A few of the songs were already professionally demoed, but most of them had to be recorded after being chosen. The hardest part of making the CD was taking 19 songs from various studios and blending them together in a way that sounded like they were recorded in the same place. The result is a mixture of country, pop, folk, and even a couple of instrumentals that really shows off the versatility of the members. Most of the songs are sung by the writer, but a few had a professional singer fill-in.

Once the songs were all recorded and mastered, they were shipped off to make the actual physical CD and cover art. As this was a fund-raiser for the organization, Diskmakers donated a substantial number of CDs at no charge and became a corporate sponsor. Best Buy also came on board as a sponsor and agreed to place the CD in 25 Best Buy stores throughout Georgia and also listed it on their web site, www.bestbuy.com.

One of the writers included on the CD is Steve Rickard, a member of GMIA who appears courtesy of Senate Records in association with Shadow Sound Studio in Macon, GA, both owned by Joey Stuckey. Steve also played a part in getting the CDs into the Best Buy stores and getting preferred placement inside the stores.

A copy of the CD was sent to Alan Shephard, the host of the online radio show "Country Dreams" and seven of the songs from the CD were featured on their December 5th radio program. "Country Dreams" plays only unsigned artists and writers and has various affiliates throughout the U.S. including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Vermont, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama and Ohio.

GMIA is currently contacting radio stations throughout Georgia to make people aware that the CD is available at the various Best Buy stores and through their web site at www.gmia.org. All the money made from the CD goes directly to the organization to promote and encourage the craft of songwriting and to offer opportunities to those writers and performers who have set goals for themselves in the music business. GMIA's main goal is to educate and provide experience and exposure for its members at-large and to promote Georgia music.