Rickey Medlocke was born on February 17, 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida and raised by his grandparents. Rickey was always a natural born musician as he inherited some of his talent from his grandfather Shorty Medlocke. His grandfather, Shorty Medlocke, was a well-known Delta blues musician and taught his grandson to play a miniature banjo. Medlocke started performing onstage at age three, and his musical abilities increased over the years. He began teaching himself to play guitar at age five and he was playing drums in Shorty's band at age eight. Over the next several years Medlocke mastered the banjo, guitar, drums, mandolin, dobro and keyboards. He had a melodic singing voice and had taught himself to sing and play guitar at the same time. After graduating high school, Medlocke formed his first band, Blackfoot, where he was lead vocalist and lead guitarist. He was raised around music and it certainly is in his blood. Medlocke is of Native American Heritage and is very proud of that Heritage.
Rickey was in his late teens when he formed the band BLACKFOOT. As lead vocalist and front man, the band was very successful and Rickey kept the band going releasing over 10 hard rocking albums. During a brief time in his early career, Rickey left the Blackfoot band and toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd as a drummer from 1970 into 1971. He went back to Blackfoot where he remained until the mid nineteen nineties. While with Skynyrd in the early 1970’s he wrote and recorded some with the band and played drums and sang lead on a few songs like: "One More Time", "Preacher's Daughter", "Lend a Helpin' Hand", "Wino", "White Dove", "Comin' Home", "The Seasons", "Ain't Too Proud to Pray" and "You Run Around."
On occasion, Medlocke played alongside the band's original drummer Bob Burns but came to desire the energy of a guitarist at the front of the stage. This resulted in his 1971 decision to reform Blackfoot. The band began touring and producing hit songs that included "Train Train", which was written by his grandfather, and "Highway Song", written by Rickey Medlocke and Blackfoot drummer Jakson Spires, amongst songs written by others. He disbanded the group in the early 1990s.
For a while in the 1990s, Medlocke thought about pursuing other careers until he received a phone call in 1996 from Gary Rossington inviting him to rejoin Lynyrd Skynyrd as a lead guitarist and primary songwriter. Rossington asked Medlocke if he remembered how to play "Free Bird", "Tuesday's Gone", and "Workin' For MCA", among others. Medlocke rejoined Skynyrd and has been a member since. In 1996 Rickey rejoined Lynyrd Skynyrd where he has remained a full time guitarist for the band where he continues to tour and record.
In 2008, Medlocke was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame.
Occasionally, Medlocke will step away from Skynyrd briefly to join musicians like Blackberry Smoke and Shooter Jennings onstage. In 2005, he joined American Idol finalist Bo Bice on stage for a rendition of "Sweet Home Alabama" when the top three finalists from season four returned home. In October of 2015 Medlocke received the Lifetime Achievement Award and in November 2015, performed with Blackfoot at three (3) special event shows in New York, Massachusetts and Virginia.
Rickey was in his late teens when he formed the band BLACKFOOT. As lead vocalist and front man, the band was very successful and Rickey kept the band going releasing over 10 hard rocking albums. During a brief time in his early career, Rickey left the Blackfoot band and toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd as a drummer from 1970 into 1971. He went back to Blackfoot where he remained until the mid nineteen nineties. While with Skynyrd in the early 1970’s he wrote and recorded some with the band and played drums and sang lead on a few songs like: "One More Time", "Preacher's Daughter", "Lend a Helpin' Hand", "Wino", "White Dove", "Comin' Home", "The Seasons", "Ain't Too Proud to Pray" and "You Run Around."
On occasion, Medlocke played alongside the band's original drummer Bob Burns but came to desire the energy of a guitarist at the front of the stage. This resulted in his 1971 decision to reform Blackfoot. The band began touring and producing hit songs that included "Train Train", which was written by his grandfather, and "Highway Song", written by Rickey Medlocke and Blackfoot drummer Jakson Spires, amongst songs written by others. He disbanded the group in the early 1990s.
For a while in the 1990s, Medlocke thought about pursuing other careers until he received a phone call in 1996 from Gary Rossington inviting him to rejoin Lynyrd Skynyrd as a lead guitarist and primary songwriter. Rossington asked Medlocke if he remembered how to play "Free Bird", "Tuesday's Gone", and "Workin' For MCA", among others. Medlocke rejoined Skynyrd and has been a member since. In 1996 Rickey rejoined Lynyrd Skynyrd where he has remained a full time guitarist for the band where he continues to tour and record.
In 2008, Medlocke was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame.
Occasionally, Medlocke will step away from Skynyrd briefly to join musicians like Blackberry Smoke and Shooter Jennings onstage. In 2005, he joined American Idol finalist Bo Bice on stage for a rendition of "Sweet Home Alabama" when the top three finalists from season four returned home. In October of 2015 Medlocke received the Lifetime Achievement Award and in November 2015, performed with Blackfoot at three (3) special event shows in New York, Massachusetts and Virginia.