RICK VITO -BIO- “A singer and guitarist of the first rank. You are listening to a master of his instrument who is finally getting some of the attention as bluesman/bandleader that is long overdue!” JOHN MAYALL “ Rick Vito’s guitar playing just slays me! His style is as cool and sharp as a ’59 Cadillac tailfin….” BONNIE RAITT Few musicians in the past few decades can lay claim to the caliber of credits held by singer-guitarist, Rick Vito. His stellar slide and lead guitar work has enriched the recordings and performances of such legendary Hall of Fame rock and blues artists as Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Roy Orbison, and scores of others. To date he has appeared on over one hundred released recordings, and his haunting slide solo on Seger’s “Like A Rock,” has been heard by untold millions as the guitar voice on the Chevrolet truck TV commercial ads over the past decade! Perhaps best known as a member of legendary supergroup Fleetwood Mac (1987-1991), Rick’s presence brought back a passionate bluesy quality to the band’s music. His original songs and guitar/vocal performances are featured on their recordings, “Behind the Mask,” “The Chain,” “Greatest Hits,” “The Very Best Of Fleetwood Mac,” and the live concert DVD, “Tango In The Night”. Rick’s debut solo album, “King Of Hearts” released in 1992 on Atlantic Records, was praised in Guitar Player magazine as “...a dazzling collection of fiery, slide guitar-driven songs.” His voice and guitar were again captured at their finest in his second solo work, 1998’s “Pink & Black,” this time in a more traditional blues-rock setting. In 2000 Rick signed with the German based Hypertension Music label which released an incredible third solo CD, “Lucky Devils.” He then took his band to tour Europe where he appeared on the now classic "Ohne Filter" TV show, which was released on DVD in 2004 as “Rick Vito Live In Concert.” Rick’s recent endeavors have included much-heralded world tours with blues and rock icons, Bonnie Raitt, and John Fogerty. As producer, Rick also collaborated with “rockabilly filly,” Rosie Flores. This resulted with the release of “Speed of Sound,” which received uniformly incredible reviews. Rick’s guitar work also appears on recent releases by Delbert McClinton (the Grammy winning, “Nothing Personal”), Hank Williams Jr., and The Tractors. Warner Brothers major movie release, “Angel Eyes,” starring Jennifer Lopez, featured Rick’s song, “It’s Two A.M.”, as performed by Alligator Record’s superstar, Shemekia Copeland. This song also garnered Rick the prestigious W.C. Handy Award for “Blues Song of the Year.” In the Dreamworks motion picture, “The Castle,” starring Robert Redford, and James Gandolfini, Rick is featured in a rare cameo as a military police captain. His songs have also appeared on many TV shows including “Without A Trace,” “Thieves,” “Felicity,” “HBO’s Real Sex,” and “Everwood.” Rick’s next CD, “Crazy Cool,” was released in 2002 in Europe followed again by a sellout tour that also included rave performances at major Blues festivals there. A fifth CD, “Bandbox Boogie,” followed in late 2003. More in the tradition of jump and swing blues, it includes many show-stopping favorites such as “Blues Town,” “Little Sheba,” “Where Did You go, Bettie Page,” and the blistering title track instrumental, a salute to Rick’s guitar idols of the swing era. Rick’s new 2006 CD, “Rattlesnake Shake,” is a tour de force for all fans of slide guitar, blues, and rhythm-rock, and is now available exclusively on his website. He continues to tour worldwide to enthusiastic audiences everywhere. Perhaps bluesman Keb Mo’ said it best: “….Soulful singer, brilliant guitarist. You got to check Rick Vito out for sure!” Visit www.RICKVITO.COM for more detailed information, including discography, biography, soundbytes, links, photos, and contact page.