Richard Francis (Rick) Vito (born October 13, 1949, in Darby,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States) is an American

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themsel ...

and

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

. He was part of

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epo ...

between 1987 and 1991. Vito took over as lead guitarist after

Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fl ...

left the group. He is best known for his blues and slide guitar style, whose influences include

Elmore James Elmore James ( Brooks; January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. Noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ...

, Robert Nighthawk, B.B. King,

Alvino Rey Alvin McBurney (July 1, 1908 – February 24, 2004), known by his stage name Alvino Rey, was an American jazz guitarist and bandleader. Career Alvin McBurney was born in Oakland, California, United States, but grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Early i ...

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

, and

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

. Vito began his professional career in 1971 upon moving to Los Angeles and subsequently joining Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, also working with Todd Rundgren and Derek & The Dominoes’ Bobby Whitlock. Vito has been a featured player on

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

s since 1986. He played the

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos t ...

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

on the Bob Seger song (and Chevy truck TV commercial), "

Like a Rock ''Like a Rock'' is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Seger, released in 1986. The title track is best known for being featured in Chevrolet truck commercials throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Content "Fortunat ...

". He was a long-standing member of

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

's touring band in the 1980s and 1990s. Vito also recorded and/ or performed with

John Mayall John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, musician and songwriter, whose musical career spans over sixty years. In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among it ...

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

, Dobie Gray,

John Fogerty John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty, he founded the band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he was the lead s ...

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

, Albert Collins,

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...

Maria Muldaur Maria Muldaur (born Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato; September 12, 1942) is an American folk and blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s. She recorded the 1973 hit song " Midnight at the Oasis" and has ...

, and many others. Vito has had ten solo CD releases and tours often in Europe and the US with his own band. He produced rockabilly singer Rosie Flores' CD, ''Speed of Sound''. His CD/DVD production collaboration with Mick Fleetwood, ''

Blue Again! ''Blue Again'' is a live album by the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, featuring Rick Vito, released in 2008. It was recorded at The Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, Missouri on 8 February 2008. Background The album represented a return to the bl ...

'', received a Grammy nomination in 2010. Vito is also the recipient of the W.C. Handy Blues Award. ''Mojo on My Side'' was released in Europe in 2014, and worldwide in 2015 on Delta Groove Records with two new tracks. His latest CD, ''Soulshaker'', was released on 5 April 2019. Vito performed with the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band at Byron Bay Bluesfest over Easter 2016. He also participated in an all-star tribute to Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green at the London Palladium in February 2020. Billed as "Mick Fleetwood & Friends," the show highlighted Vito's guitar and vocals alongside of Billy Gibbons, Pete Townsend, David Gilmour, Jonny Lang, John Mayall, Christine McVie, Bill Wyman, Jeremy Spencer and more.

Fleetwood Mac

In 1987,

quit Fleetwood Mac before the band began their Tango In The Night Tour. Fleetwood Mac Drummer

Mick Fleetwood Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and occasional actor. He is best known as the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of t ...

asked Billy Burnette to join the group as the lead guitarist, but Burnette declined to join unless his friend Rick Vito also joined, and Vito was named lead guitarist. Fleetwood accepted and Vito and Burnette joined Fleetwood Mac in September 1987. Vito quit Fleetwood Mac in November 1991 to begin working on a solo career. Despite his departure from the group, Vito joined his former bandmates Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Burnette, and

John McVie John Graham McVie (born 26 November 1945) is a British bass guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock bands John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers from 1964 to 1967 and Fleetwood Mac since 1967. His surname, combined with that of Mick Fle ...

to play the pre-game show of

Super Bowl XXVII Super Bowl XXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...

in January 1993. Vito later joined the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band in 2008 and recorded a live album, ''

'', which was nominated for a

Grammy Award for Best Blues Album The Grammy Award for Best Blues Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the blues genre. Honors in sever ...

in 2010.

Filmography

*''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...

'' (1984) (TV) singer *''

The Last Castle ''The Last Castle'' is a 2001 American action drama film directed by Rod Lurie, starring Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo and Delroy Lindo. The film portrays a struggle between inmates and the warden of a military prison, based o ...

'' (2001) Red Team leader *''Angel Eyes'' (2005) (songwriter: "It's 2 A.M.") *''

Firewall Firewall may refer to: * Firewall (computing), a technological barrier designed to prevent unauthorized or unwanted communications between computer networks or hosts * Firewall (construction), a barrier inside a building, designed to limit the spre ...

'' (2006) (

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

and performer: "She's So Crazy")

Discography

* 1969 ''The Wright Brothers'' (an unreleased 4-song EP, recorded/produced by colleague Neil Kempfer-Stocker; Vito-lead guitar).

Fleetwood Mac

* 1988 ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'' - guitars and backing vocals on two songs. * 1990 '' Behind the Mask'' * 1992 ''

25 Years – The Chain ''25 Years – The Chain'' is a box set by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac originally released on 24 November 1992. The set contains four CDs, covering the history of the band from its formation in 1967 to 1992. The set features sev ...

'' * 2002 ''

The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac ''The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac'' is an enhanced compilation album released by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac in 2002 to promote their then-upcoming album '' Say You Will'' (2003). It was released as a double album in the US on 12 Oct ...

The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band Featuring Rick Vito

* 2008 : ''

'' * 2016 : ''Live at the Belly Up Tavern''

Solo albums

* 1992 '' King of Hearts'' * 1998 '' Pink & Black'' * 2000 '' Lucky Devils'' * 2001 '' Crazy Cool'' * 2003 '' Band Box Boogie'' * 2005 ''Rattlesnake Shake'' * 2006 ''Talk That Talk'' * 2009 '' Lucky in Love: The Best of Rick Vito'' * 2014 ''Mojo on My Side'' (European Version) * 2015 ''Mojo on My Side'' (Worldwide Version) * 2019 ''Soulshaker''

Guest performances

* 1972 '' Something/Anything?'' –

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

* 1972 ''

Raw Velvet ''Raw Velvet'' is the second solo album by American songwriter and musician Bobby Whitlock, released in 1972. The appearance of Eric Clapton, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon of Derek and the Dominos was only indicated by the representation of 'dom ...

'' –

Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memp ...

* 1973 “ They Love Me, They Love Me Not”- Genya Ravan * 1973 "All I See Is You" - Rabindra Danks * 1975 ''New Year, New Band, New Company'' –

* 1975 ''

Common Sense ''Common Sense'' is a 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–1776 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine collected various moral and political arg ...

'' – John Prine * 1975 ''Change'' – Spanky and Our Gang * 1975 ''Notice to Appear'' – John Mayall * 1975 ''Growing Pains'' – Jamie Owens * 1976 ''A Banquet in Blues'' – John Mayall * 1976 '' Prime Prine'' – John Prine * 1976 ''Street Talk'' –

Bob Crewe Robert Stanley Crewe (November 12, 1930 – September 11, 2014) was an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, and record producer. He was known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for the Four Seasons ...

* 1977 '' Playing to an Audience Of One'' –

David Soul David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943) is an American-British actor and singer. He is known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television series ''Starsky & Hutch'' from 1975 to 1979; Joshua Bolt on ' ...

* 1977 ''

Thunderbyrd ''Thunderbyrd'' is American singer-songwriter and guitarist Roger McGuinn's 5th solo studio album, released in 1977 on the Columbia Records label. Following the success of his 1976 album '' Cardiff Rose'', McGuinn intended to make another album ...

'' –

* 1978 ''Kissin' in the California Sun'' –

Katy Moffatt Katherine Louella "Katy" Moffatt (born November 19, 1950) is an American musician, lyricist, composer, vocalist. She is the sister of country singer-songwriter Hugh Moffatt. Midnight radio Moffatt became impassioned by music as a child gro ...

* 1978 ''

Randy Richards Randy Richards (born January 24, 1991) is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He made his professional debut in 2015 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and won hi ...

'' – Randy Richards * 1979 '' High and Outside'' –

Steve Goodman Steven Benjamin Goodman (July 25, 1948 – September 20, 1984) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter from Chicago. He wrote the song "City of New Orleans", which was recorded by Arlo Guthrie and many others including John Denv ...

* 1979 ''Open Your Eyes'' –

* 1980 '' Blue Delicacies'' –

Ronnie Barron Ronnie Barron (born Ronald Raymond Barrosse, October 9, 1943, in Algiers, New Orleans – March 20, 1997) was an American actor, keyboardist, organist, and blue-eyed soul singer during the 1970s. He was known for his work as a session musicia ...

* 1980 '' No More Interviews'' – John Mayall * 1982 ''

Fast Times at Ridgemont High ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' is a 1982 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling (in her feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his 1981 book ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story ...

'' (Original Soundtrack) – Various/

* 1982 '' Green Light'' –

* 1982 '' The Perfect Stranger'' –

Jesse Colin Young Perry Miller (born November 22, 1941), known professionally as Jesse Colin Young, is an American singer and songwriter. He was a founding member and lead singer of the 1960s group the Youngbloods. After their dissolution in 1972, Young embarked ...

* 1982 '' Revenge Will Come'' – Greg Copeland * 1982 ''Walk On'' –

Karen Brooks Karen Brooks (born April 30, 1954) is an American country music singer and songwriter who is best known for a series of singles recorded by Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Patty Loveless, Tanya Tucker, Russell Smith, David Allen Coe, Crystal ...

* 1983 '' Lawyers in Love'' – Jackson Browne * 1983 '' Tell Me the Truth'' – Timothy B Schmit * 1984 '' Inside the Fire'' – Rita Coolidge * 1985 '' One Heart at a Time'' – Don Francisco * 1986 ''

'' – Bob Seger * 1986 '' Lives in the Balance'' – Jackson Browne * 1987 '' A Very Special Christmas'' – Various/Bob Seger * 1987 ''

Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

'' –

* 1989 '' Mystery Girl'' –

* 1989 '' Rock Rhythm & Blues'' – Various/Christine McVie * 1990 '' Gypsy Moon'' – Troy Newman * 1990 '' Brent Bourgeois'' – Brent Bourgeois * 1991 ''

The Fire Inside ''The Fire Inside'' is the fourteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Seger. The album was released in mid 1991 on the record label, Capitol. It was Seger's first album of entirely new music since '' Like a Rock'' in 1986. Thoug ...

'' – Bob Seger * 1992 '' Born to Rock and Roll'' –

* 1992 '' Not Alone'' –

Thomas Jefferson Kaye Thomas Jefferson Kontos (1940 – September 16, 1994), better known as Thomas Jefferson Kaye, was an American record producer, singer-songwriter and musician. He collaborated with The Shirelles, Loudon Wainwright III, and Gene Clark, and also rec ...

* 1993 '' Great Days: A John Prine Anthology'' – John Prine * 1994 '' Craig Shoemaker Meets the Lovemaster'' – Craig Shoemaker * 1994 ''

'' – Bob Seger * 1994 ''

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

'' –

* 1994 ''Meet Me at Midnite'' – Maria Muldaur * 1995 ''

It's a Mystery ''It's a Mystery'' is the fifteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Seger, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music). As with his prior album, it is credited to the Silver Bullet Band, though many of the tracks feature a wide array ...

'' – Bob Seger * 1995 ''All Day Thumbsucker Revisited: The History of Blue Thumb Records'' – Various/John Mayall * 1997 '' The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne'' – Jackson Browne * 1998 ''Southland of the Heart'' – Maria Muldaur * 1998 '' Thinkin' About You'' – Rita Coolidge * 1999 '' Extremely Cool'' –

Chuck E. Weiss Charles Edward Weiss (March 18, 1945 – July 20, 2021) was an American songwriter and vocalist. A fixture on the Los Angeles scene, Weiss was known for an eclectic mix of blues, beat poetry, and rock and roll. His music included strains of every ...

* 1999 ''Steel Cowboys: Bikers' Choice, Vol. 1'' – Various/ Billy Burnette * 1999 '' Lillith Fair Volume 3'' – Bonnie Raitt * 1999 ''The ABC Years'' – John Mayall * 1999 '' Juke Rhythm'' –

John "Juke" Logan John "Juke" Logan (September 11, 1946 – August 30, 2013) was an American electric blues harmonica player, musician, singer, pianist and songwriter. He is best known for his harmonica playing on the theme music for television programs (''Home I ...

* 1999 '' Smooth Sailin''' – Marty Grebb * 2001 ''Nothing Personal'' –

Delbert McClinton Delbert McClinton (born November 4, 1940) is an American blues rock and electric blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist. From his first professional stage appearance in 1957 to his most recent national tour in 2018, ...

* 2002 '' Forgive'' –

Rebecca Lynn Howard Rebecca Lynn Howard (born April 24, 1979) is an American country music artist. She has charted seven singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, and has released three studio albums. Her highest-charting single, "Forgive", peaked at ...

* 2002 '' Almeria Club'' – Hank Williams Jr. * 2002 ''

Fast Girl Fast or FAST may refer to: * Fast (noun), high speed or velocity * Fast (noun, verb), to practice fasting, abstaining from food and/or water for a certain period of time Acronyms and coded Computing and software * ''Faceted Application of Subje ...

'' –

The Tractors The Tractors were an American country rock band composed of a loosely associated group of musicians headed by guitarist Steve Ripley. The original lineup consisted of Steve Ripley (lead vocals, guitar), Ron Getman (guitar, Dobro, mandolin, tenor ...

* 2002 '' The Big Night'' – The Tractors * 2002 ''Speed of Sound'' – Rosie Flores * 2003 '' All Night Breakfast'' –

Jonny Neel Jonny is a masculine given name, and pet name, in the English language. A pet form of Jon, the natural diminutive of given name Jonathan, in some cases it can also mean a condom. A variant form of ''Jonny'' is ''Jonnie''. People with the name *J ...

* 2004 '' The Very Best of Jackson Browne'' – Jackson Browne * 2009 '' Trading 8s'' – Carl Verheyen * 2009 '' Man's Temptation'' – Kermit Lynch * 2011 ''Steady Love'' – Maria Muldaur * 2012 '' Donuts and Coffee'' – Kermit Lynch * 2013 '' Memphis'' –

Boz Scaggs William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. An early bandmate of Steve Miller in The Ardells and the Steve Miller Band, he began his solo career in 1969, though he lacked a major hit until ...

* 2014 ''

Ride Out "Ride Out" is a song by American rappers Kid Ink, Tyga, Wale, YG, and Rich Homie Quan, taken from the soundtrack of the American action film ''Furious 7''. It was released as a lead single of the soundtrack alongside the promotional single " Go ...

'' – Bob Seger * 2015 '' Slide Guitar Summit'' – Arlen Roth * 2017 '' Crazy Like Me'' - Billy Burnette * 2018 '' Out of the Blues'' - Boz Scaggs (LP) * 2018 '' Unchained Melodies'' - Roy Orbison * 2020 '' All American Radio'' - Ned Evett * 2021 '' Mick Fleetwood & Friends Celebrate the Music of Peter Green'' * 2021 '' These Strange Times'' - Mick Fleetwood

DVDs

* 1977 (rel. 2010) '' Rockpalast – Roger McGuinn's Thunderbyrd: West Coast Legends Vol. 4'' DVD * 1988 '' Fleetwood Mac: Tango in the Night Live'' DVD * 2003 '' Rick Vito In Concert'' DVD * 2003 '' Guitar Heroes In Concert'' DVD * 2005 '' Rick Vito: Complete Slide Guitar'' DVD * 2009 '' Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito: Blue Again!'' DVD * 2021 “ Mick Fleetwood & Friends Celebrate The Music Of Peter Green” DVD

References

External links

Official site

Rick Vito at IMDB

Rick Vito Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2021) {{DEFAULTSORT:Vito, Rick 1949 births Living people People from Darby, Pennsylvania American rock guitarists Fleetwood Mac members American session musicians Lead guitarists Slide guitarists American male singer-songwriters American singer-songwriters American rock songwriters American rock singers American blues guitarists American male guitarists 20th-century American guitarists