Rick Paul
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Biography
If you ask Orange County, California-based singer-songwriter and piano man Rick Paul about his musical influences, he'll be happy to rattle off enough names to make even the most patient person wish he'd never asked. Growing up in Upstate New York in the 1970s, when the same radio station might play everything from Aerosmith to ABBA, Elton John to John Denver, and Styx to Jim Croce, Rick not only absorbed it all as a music fan, but learned to play songs by artists of most every stripe. Couple that with early exposure to traditional folk songs, the hymns and folk songs of the Catholic Church, and immersion in the musical theatre, where Rick always yearned to play the romantic lead, but inevitably ended up playing the villain or some equally colorful character, and you get a truly wide variety of influences. There is, however, a common thread to be found in the combination of melodies that stick in your head, lyrics with something to say, and performances that capture the soul of the songs' characters. These are the same sensibilities Rick imparts on his songs, recordings, and live performances.

2008 has seen Rick release two singles, "Spam It" and "Halloween", have his cover of "Onward, Christian Soldiers" included on a multi-artist release from Goodnight Kiss Records, and put out a multi-track release of duets with 70's pop diva Beverly Bremers ("Don't Say You Don't Remember") called "Make Me Feel". Meanwhile Rick is already in production on his debut album, currently anticipated for release in 2009, with songs sourced from Rick's decade plus career as an independent songwriter. That career has included upwards of a dozen cuts and other song usages by independent artists, nomination for a Just Plain Folks Celtic Song Award for "Portadown Rain", and top five radio and video airplay in Mongolia for teenage pop singer Nominjin's recording of "All I Need to Know".

As a new artist who happens to be a seasoned songwriter, singer, and musician, Rick Paul brings a mix of the fresh and the familiar to his recordings. While you might not want to sit through listening to a list of his many influences, you just might hear several of those influences in his music.

Career Highlights:

  • 1996: Rick is among the earliest songwriters posting song lyrics and demo recordings on the web.
  • 1998: The Altarmen & Julie become the first group to release one of Rick's songs, "It Started in a Manger", which becomes the title song for their Christmas album.
  • 2000: Little River Band lead singer, Wayne Nelson, records "Little Child Lost" to promote the Child Alert Foundation.
  • 2000: Just Plain Folks Song Award nomination in the Celtic genre for "Portadown Rain".
  • 2001: Rick receives his first radio airplay as an artist on HOPE FM, Esperance, Western Australia his demo of "Help Us Understand", a song he wrote after the events of September 11, 2001.
  • 2002: Rick''s recording of "It Started in a Manger" is released alongside recordings by NRBQ, Graham Parker, Stewart Copeland, and others on the Ho Ho Ho Spice album to benefit Hospice.
  • 2003: Paul Johansen's recording of "Loser's Rodeo" is the most played song of the year on the Grenselaus Country radio program on Radio Sotra, Straume, Fjell, Norway.
  • 2004: Teenage pop singer Nominjin goes top five in Mongolia for radio and video airplay with "All I Need to Know".
  • 2006: Rick releases his first independent single, "The Lord's Prayer", then follows it up with a 4-original song Christmas EP, That Time of Year.
  • 2007: Rick releases "Bubble Gum" as a single, and an animated video with English and Chinese subtitles produced independently in Beijing is released to the web via YouTube and Chinese web sites.
  • 2008: Rick's cover of the traditional hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers" is released on the Goodnight Kiss Records album, ALTARnative Music: Songs of Christian Faith.
  • 2008: Rick releases the punk rock-flavored anti-spam single "Spam It".
  • 2008: Rick teams up with Beverly Bremers ("Don't Say You Don't Remember") for a duet release, "Make Me Feel".
  • 2008: Rick releases an Eagles-flavored single called "Halloween".

Terrestial radio airplay highlights:

  • 1700 AM WPMD, Norwalk, California
  • 90.3 FM WEJF, Palm Bay, Florida
  • 99.1 FM KSKB, Brooklyn, Iowa
  • 90.9 FM KLOX, Creston, Iowa
  • 103.9 FM HOPE FM, Esperance, Western Australia, Australia
  • 100.9/104.5/105.5 FM Radio Sotra, Straume, Fjell, Norway

Internet radio airplay highlights:

  • CATZ, Hendersonville, Tennessee (www.live365.com/stations/cat2)
  • Newgrass, Prog & More!, Tidewater, Virginia (www.live365.com/stations/virginiaprograsser)
  • SongwritersPro Radio, Nashville, Tennessee (www.songwriterpro.com/radio/songwriterproradio.html)
  • KICKRadio, Ozamiz City, Philippines (kickradio.com)
  • Average Joe Radio, Indianapolis, Indiana (averagejoeradio.blogspot.com)

Recordings available at:
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  • Members:
    Rick Paul
  • Sounds Like:
    Randy Newman, Neil Young, Eagles, Dan Fogelberg
  • Influences:
    Elton John, Billy Joel, Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, David Gates, Bee Gees
  • AirPlay Direct Member Since:
    12/02/07
  • Profile Last Updated:
    01/12/10 13:42:37

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