Richard Ray Farrell (born 1956) is an American

electric blues Electric blues refers to any type of blues music distinguished by the use of electric amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified and used by early pioneers T-Bone Walker in the late 19 ...

guitarist, harmonicist, singer and songwriter. Farrell has released ten albums in his own name to date, and has toured widely over a career that started in the mid-1970s.

Life and career

Farrell was born in

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and named after the famed ...

, United States, but left home after his graduation, backpacking his way across Europe. He found 'work' as a busker on the

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

. In 1976, Farrell met

Sugar Blue Sugar Blue (born James Joshua "Jimmie" Whiting, December 16, 1949, Harlem, New York City) is an American blues harmonica player. He is probably best known for playing on the Rolling Stones' single " Miss You", and in partnering Louisiana Red. ...

whilst they were both busking in the Métro. Farrell's first instrument was the harmonica, graduating then to the guitar to accompany his singing. In 1978, he briefly fronted a Spanish blues-rock band in Spain, and lived with a gypsy family for six months. After becoming a father in 1985, he relocated to Stuttgart, Germany, and played with a local blues band. In 1987, Richard opened for

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

at the Backnang Open Air Festival. Two years later he led his own Richard Ray Farrell Band, and started touring across Europe. Through connections he toured with

Lazy Lester Leslie Johnson (June 20, 1933 – August 22, 2018), better known as Lazy Lester, was an American blues musician who sang and played the harmonica and guitar. In a career spanning the 1950s to 2018, he pioneered swamp blues, and also played ...

Big Jack Johnson Jack N. Johnson, known as Big Jack Johnson (July 30, 1939 or 1940 – March 14, 2011) was an American electric blues musician, one of the "present-day exponents of an edgier, electrified version of the raw, uncut Delta blues sound." He was one ...

Big Boy Henry Richard Leslie Henry (born May 26, 1921 – December 5, 2004), better known as Big Boy Henry, was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. His most notable recording was "Mr. President", a protest against cuts in social we ...

Louisiana Red Iverson Minter (March 23, 1932 – February 25, 2012), known as Louisiana Red, was an American blues guitarist, harmonica player, and singer, who recorded more than 50 albums. He was best known for his song "Sweet Blood Call". Biography Born ...

Frank Frost Frank Otis Frost (April 15, 1936 or 1938 – October 12, 1999) was one of the foremost American Delta blues harmonica players of his generation. Life and career Most sources state that Frost was born in 1936 in Auvergne, Jackson County, Arkansa ...

and

R. L. Burnside R. L. Burnside (November 23, 1926 – September 1, 2005) was an American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He played music for much of his life but received little recognition before the early 1990s. In the latter half of that decade, Burn ...

between 1990 and 1993, during which time Farrell released his debut album, ''Live in Germany'' (1992). In 1993, he formed an outfit known as Street Talk, but the members lived across the Northern Hemisphere, making commitment impossible. Farrell returned to both solo acoustic performances and playing with his

trio. In 1995, Farrell and

Jimmy Carl Black James Carl Inkanish, Jr. (February 1, 1938 – November 1, 2008), known professionally as Jimmy Carl Black, was a drummer and vocalist for The Mothers of Invention. Background and early career: 1960s–1990s Born in El Paso, Texas, Black was ...

formed the Farrell and Black Band, who recorded two albums for Stormy Monday Records, ''Cataract Jump'' (1996) and ''Black Limousine'' (1999). He honed his songwriting skills on these albums and then released ''Street Songs, Jazzy Tunes and Down Home Blues'' (1998). Farrell returned to the States in 2001, and two years later issued his first album for Blue Beet Music, ''Bohemian Life''. Featuring sixteen original songs, it included a guest appearance by the harmonica player,

Jerry Portnoy Jerry Portnoy (born November 25, 1943 in Evanston, Illinois, United States) is an American harmonica blues musician, who has toured with Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton. Biography Portnoy grew up in Chicago. He first heard the blues played out ...

. ''Bohemian Life'' reached number 18 on the ''

Living Blues ''Living Blues: The Magazine of the African American Blues Tradition'' is a bi-monthly magazine focused on blues music, and America's oldest blues periodical. The magazine was founded as a quarterly in Chicago in 1970 by Jim O'Neal and Amy van ...

'' radio chart. ''Acoustic Roots'' (2005) followed, which peaked at number 20 on the ''Living Blues'' chart. In 2006, Farrell teamed up with

Steve Guyger Steve Guyger (born September 12, 1952) is an American Chicago blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter. He has recorded five albums since 1997, having previously backed Jimmy Rogers for almost fifteen years. Rick Estrin, from Rick Estrin ...

to produce the traditional blues-orientated, ''Down Home Old School Country Blues''. ''Stuck On The Blues'' (2007) was another largely acoustic joint affair, this time with the Italian harmonicist, Marco Pandolfi. ''Camino de Sanlucar'' (2009) was recorded in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...

, Spain. His next release, ''I Sing The Blues Eclectic'' (2011), contained twelve original tracks. In 2013, Farrell issued ''At Cambayá Club'', a live album with Farrell providing guitar, harmonica and vocals throughout. ''Shoe Shoppin’ Woman'' (Blue Beet, 2014) is his most recent offering, and contained

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

s of

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 Fa ...

' "Wild About You", and

Snooks Eaglin Fird Eaglin Jr. (January 21, 1936 or 1937 – February 18, 2009), known as Snooks Eaglin, was an American guitarist and singer based in New Orleans. In his early years he was sometimes credited under other names, including Blind Snooks Eaglin, ...

's "If I Could". Farrell's favorite statement is "The blues will never die because it's not a fad, it's more a way of life."

Discography

Albums

References

External links

Official websiteReverbnation entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrell, Richard Ray 1956 births Living people American blues singers American blues harmonica players American blues guitarists Electric blues musicians 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers Singers from New York (state) Songwriters from New York (state) Musicians from Niagara Falls, New York Guitarists from New York (state) 20th-century American guitarists American male guitarists 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers American male songwriters

Life and career

Discography

Albums

See also

References

External links