Rock ’N Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Byrd Live on Game Changers with Vicki Abelson

Hanging out with Rock’N Roll Hall of Famer, Ricky Byrd, is like going home. Back to the days… when we were both in a daze. I was booking the Rock 'N Roll Café on Bleecker Street, Ricky was already a rockstar, center stage as lead guitarist with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, playing those iconic riffs in the fab MTV Music Video Days... when there were ashtrays on restaurant tables, and MTV played music videos. Just found a great pic of Ricky and Elliot Easton sitting in on our tiny stage in ’87ish. All those years ago, and yet how fun to have seen Elliot play live last week with The Immediate Family and Zoom tonight with Ricky. One big difference, both Ricky and I are sober. 36 years for him, and the last many, being of service and giving back with his time, and his music. His current passion, partnering with AllSober.com to aid those struggling with addiction to gain inspiration from their sober heroes. He treated us to his Ain’t Gonna Live Like That No More to punctuate the point. Ricky received the Drug-Free Heroes Award, presented by the Foundation For a Drug-Free World, The Faces and Voices 2019 Voice of Recovery Award, and the 2019 Italian American of Distinction Award, presented by Governor Cuomo, for his work in recovery. This Rockboy walks his talk.

Old friends, it was an easy breezy walk down memory lane, littered with one-liners, and rim shots. Ricky may be a rocker but he’s a Borscht Belt comic at heart. Fabulous stories about touring with Graham Parker, Roger Daltry, and Ian Hunter, the thrill of playing THAT riff from All the Young Dudes, having Simon Kirke of Bad Company behind him hitting those beats, backing Brian Wilson, sitting next to MeatLoaf watching his hero Jeff Beck, both of them weeping. We talked quite a bit about Beck, and Townshend, Eddie Van Halen, John Mayer, Albert King, the old days of the Filmore East, The Academy of Music, the Humble Pie, J Geils Band, and Black Oak Arkansas show we both were at when we were babies. Speaking of the Babys, we talked John Waite, Ricky’s old, my new friend, and his hysterical speech whilst being inducted into the Rock ’N Roll Hall of Fame with Joan Jett and The Blackhearts. Why she didn’t much react behind him, and looking past the front row where Paul and Ringo, his raison d’etre for becoming a musician sat with Funk 49s, Joe Walsh. And then, sharing the stage with them - and his great interactions with both Paul and Ringo. Ricky’s fan love for his heroes is so relatable and fun to witness.

Ricky’s Rhapsody in Blues - An Instrumental Tribute to Jeff Beck is spectacular as are his other WIcked Cool released singles, Louanne, Alien, and Glamdenic Blues, and they’re available here: https://www.rickybyrd.com We got the story behind each and why he requests we download rather than stream. I did as soon as we got off the interweb.

I adore my old friend. I so enjoyed every second and every word of this conversation. It was such a treat to spend time again in his great company.

Ricky Byrd Live on Game Changers with Vicki Abelson

Wednesday, February 21, 5 PM PT, 8 PM ET

Streamed Live on my Facebook

Replay here:

https://bit.ly/3uwdsUQ