Gary Richrath Rock's Hidden Legend
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- Hello and welcome to the channel. In this video, I'm exposing the story of Gary Richrath, the legendary guitarist for REO Speedwagon. Gary Richrath was a guitar legend who played a major role in REO's success. He had a unique fiery yet melodic style that I love. In this video, I'll share with you the life and career of Gary Richrath, from REO Speedwagon to his untimely passing at age 65. If you're a fan of rock and roll, then this video is a must-watch! By learning about the hidden guitar legend of REO Speedwagon, you'll appreciate the music all the more!
I was present for the "discovery" of Gary Ritchrath. In 1969 in Champaign IL I was in a local band called "Feathertrain". We did mostly 3 Dog Night type covers with 3 lead singers. I was the lead guitar and one of the founders of the group. Also in the group was Bruce Hall, who later was and still is in REO Speedwagon, and Dana Walden, who later was the author of a high charting R & B crossover hit with the group "Champaign". Our agent was the now "Legendary Irving Azoff" who got us fully booked along with REO and other bands in the Central Illinois area. After struggling to maintain my grades on a 4 night a week playing schedule, Irving wanted to book us for an additional 2 nights in far away Carbondale, IL, which would have killed my studies, so I opted to quit the band. The group set out on a search for a new lead guitar and at a gig in Peoria IL, we met Gary, who was almost exactly my age. He showed up backstage with his Les Paul but we had no amplifier backstage for him to plug into so we just watched while he soundlessly turned his left hand into a blur on the fretboard of his Les Paul. Later there was an amplified try out for him and former REO lead guitar Bill "Duke Tomato" Fiorio and Gary was picked. I went on to cram for my finals and eventually went to law school. Gary stayed with Feathertrain for another year before being picked up by REO when their lead player at the time left. He brought Bruce and a later Feathertrain singer, Michael Murphy, over to REO later on. Murphy sang on the Ridin The Storm Out album after Kevin's voice went out during the recording and stayed with the group for a time until Kevin came back. Too bad Gary had such a drinking problem and wasn't able to control it. He was a Helluva guitar player.
Wow great story thanks for sharing.
Thank you for giving Gary Richrath some love, he doesn't get nearly enough! But Illa-noise? Really?
Thanks for watching.
LMFAO
An amazing person as well as an amazing guitarist. Back around 79 or 80 I worked for a production company called Factory Productions. We set up a show for REO and Gary turned me on to the Cry Baby brand wah~wah pedal. the only one he used. I bought one and still use it today. Gary Richrath passed on my mom's birthday, Sept 13th in 2015. Three years later mom passed on Gary's birthday, Oct 18th. in 2018. Very strange...
That is strange. Thanks for the story and for watching.
Nice tribute, I always thought he was underrated not to mention, I thought I was the only one who liked him...I always dug his style and leads. To bad alcoholism consumed him...RIP Gary. I seen spedwagon back in '81.
Thanks for watching and the comment. I never got to see him live other than on video.
First time I saw them was 1978
Peoria, Illinois.
Head East was the lead up band.
Loved it!!!
Cool thanks for the comment.
You lookup rock God there was a picture of him there great guitar player!
He was a bad ass.
There's were so many Titans in the music industry in the 80s. The competition must have been so tough. Any given night on American radio you would hear hit after hit in the 80s from legendary to be artists. What a great time to be a kid in the 80s.
I agree 100%. Thanks for the comment.
"I Do' Wanna Know" is not pronounced I do wanna to know. It's a contraction, with a long O. Any REO fan would know that.
Thanks for the info
Super-well done. Thank you for this.
Thank you. Thanks for watching.
Excellent !!
Thanks for watching.
Gary Richrath was the most underrated and underappreciated guitarist in rock and roll he could really make his guitar sing. may he rip.
Yeah he was. He had some killer solos. Thanks for watching.
Consider a piece on Michael Schenker - his work with UFO in the 70's is timeless and he remains a huge influence on a ton of players - myself included.
He on my list. No particular order in how I do them.
Sweet. Been a big fan of Michael Schenker since 1977. And still love UFO.
@charlestelk6526 I’ll work on one in the next few weeks.
I really enjoy their Live album You Get What you play for and their studio album 9 lives. For me Hi Infidelity sucked but Good Trouble was back to a step in the right direction. Since then they were keyboard blando - Boring AF. Kevin Cronin really hi-jacked that band or really f'ked the band up. The way Cronin ruined the band it was fitting that they toured with Suxxyx as they were made for each other. REO/Richrath - great band. REO/Sans Richrath - gawdawful. (Suxxyx - gawdawful no matter who is in there) Nice piece on Richrath - sad to see how he went south - he didn't even look like himself at the end. RIP Gary - I really liked your unique playing style and tone that really popped on the Live album.
Thanks for watching and the comment. I actually have never checked out that album. I’ll give it a listen.
I'm sure a lot of young adults, learning hard rock guitar in the 70's, if someone asked them what guitar player do you want to play like.
One of the first on there list would be Gary Richrath. I guess I know about all the lp's you listed. But being a hard rocker, I just like the hard
rock early ones Ridin the storm out, Back on the road again, 157 riverside ave. Flying turkey trot, Keep pushin on, all those type on there live lp .I think I seen them in the 70's more than Ted Nugent & Grand funk. I know hard rockers are only a small % of record buyers so they had to sell records. But I'm on Gary side, when it comes to what direction the band should of went.
I agree he had some great solos back in the day.
How do you do this video and not discuss Golden Country? Also, please learn how to pronounce Alan’s last name.
Thanks for the comment.
👍👍
157 riverside avenue is the best live song recorded. IMO. .
Thanks for the comment. I’ll check it out.
"Ill-uh-noy" Not "ill-uh-noyz"
What?
The S in Illinois is silent.
Thanks
My 2 cents worth : I live in Northern Wisconsin, which draws a lot of people from Illinois. Remember if you want to learn how to pronounce it right just tell them, stop illiNOYing me! Just Sayin'.
I caught onto Speedwagon at ...Tune A Fish. I remember loving Gary's rhythm tone so much because it reminded me of Boston and then I loved Speedwagon after that because you didn't have to wait like 3 years for the next album😆😆. Then 80s LA Metal came and RATT, Dokken, and others were copping his sound. No disrespect meant, it was a great sound for that movement and itself produced a ton of great players, but I like to think Gary's tone was the template.
Yeah he was probably ahead of his time. Thanks for watching and the comment.
scoth gorom
The voice is AI
Not AI