Wyatt Rice
{{short description|American songwriter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
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| name = Wyatt Rice
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|01|06}}
| birth_place = Long Beach, California, United States
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| genre = Bluegrass Music, New Acoustic Music
| occupation = Musician
| instrument = Guitar
| years_active = 1984–present
| label = Rounder Records, Mountain Fever Records
| associated_acts = The Tony Rice Unit, Wyatt Rice and Santa Cruz, The Ronnie Bowman Committee, Wyatt Rice and Richard Bennett.
| website = {{URL|wyattrice.com}}
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Wyatt Rice is an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is best known for his solo albums and his work in his brother's group the Tony Rice Unit.{{cite book
|last=Erlewine|first=Michael|date=1997|title=All Music Guide to Country: The Experts' Guide to the Best Recordings in Country Music|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=9780879304751|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Mo7xm-X1r4C|access-date=September 24, 2017}}
Biography
Rice was born in Long Beach, California but grew up in Florida and other locations. He began playing guitar at age six, learning from his father Herb Rice. He also played alto saxophone, bassoon, and bass in his school marching band.{{cite web |url=http://www.herald-dispatch.com/features_entertainment/wyatt-rice-honors-brother/article_59680637-83c3-512c-9c5f-a083f7c84b91.html|title=Wyatt Rice Honors Brother|work=Herald-Dispatch|access-date=September 24, 2017|author=Derek Halsey|date=June 4, 2015}}
At age 17, Rice moved from Florida to California to be a member of his brother Tony Rice's band, the Tony Rice Unit.{{cite web |url=https://nytimes.com/2014/02/16/magazine/tony-rice-guitar-hero.html|title=Tony Rice, Guitar Hero|work=New York Times Magazine|access-date=September 24, 2017|author=Sandra Beasley|date=February 14, 2014}}{{cite web |url=https://americansongwriter.com/2011/05/tony-rice-unit-live-at-the-watseka-theatre/|title=Tony Rice Unit Live At The Watseka Theatre|work=American Songwriter|access-date=September 24, 2017|author=Jon Stone|date=May 10, 2011}}
In 1990, Rice released his all-instrumental solo album New Market Gap on the Rounder Records label with help from Rickie Simpkins (fiddle), Sammy Shelor (banjo), Ray Legere (mandolin), and Ron Rice (bass).{{cite web |url=https://bluegrasstoday.com/rounder-digital-reissues-hit-this-week/
|title=Rounder digital reissues hit this week|work=Bluegrass Today|access-date=September 25, 2017|author=John Lawless|date=August 3, 2016}}
Rice formed his own band Santa Cruz in 1995 and in 1996, released the album Picture in a Tear. Personnel included Elmer Burchett (banjo), Ricky Riddle (mandolin), Junior Sisk (guitar), and Timmy Massey (bass).{{cite web |url=http://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/cdreview.asp?xid=2953|title=Wyatt Rice & Santa Cruz: Picture in a Tear|work=Country Standard Time|access-date=September 24, 2017|author=George Hauenstein}}
Rice joined Ronnie Bowman’s band The Committee in 2003 along with Andy Hall (resonator guitar), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Jessie Cobb (Mandolin) Mike Anglin (bass) and Garnet Imes Bowman (harmony vocals).{{cite web |url=https://wvfest.com/artists/ronnie-bowman-committee|title=Ronnie Bowman & The Committee|work=Walnut Valley Festival|access-date=September 24, 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.louisvillemusicnews.net/webmanager/index.php?WEB_CAT_ID=49&storyid=2526|title=It's Getting Better All The Time: Ronnie Bowman|work=Louisville News|access-date=September 24, 2017|author=Bob Mitche}}
In 2013, Rice began touring with fellow flatpicking guitarist Richard Bennett.{{cite web |url=http://musiccityroots.com/2014/wyatt-rice-richard-bennett|title=Wyatt Rice and Richard Bennett|work=Music City Roots
|access-date=September 24, 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cybergrass.com/node/3042#sthash.8lg6Ehs5.dpbs|title=Richard Bennett & Wyatt Rice Sign with Rock House Entertainment|work=Cybergrass|access-date=September 24, 2017|date=November 18, 2013}}
In 2016, Rice and Dan Menzone released the Something Out of the Blue album on the Mountain Fever Records as the Wyatt Rice and Dan Menzone Alliance. Other artists involved include Rob Ickes (dobro), Fred Carpenter (fiddle), Adam Steffey (mandolin), and Ron Rice (bass).{{cite web |url=https://bluegrasstoday.com/something-out-of-the-blue-the-rice-menzone-alliance/|title=Something Out of the Blue - The Rice-Menzone Alliance|work=Bluegrass Today|access-date=September 24, 2017|author=John Curtis Goad|date=April 11, 2016}} Donna Hughes wrote the lead-off song, "Lonesome Highway" which was sung by Russell Moore and Dale Ann Bradley.{{cite web |url=http://donnahughes.com/1263/|title=Lonesome Highway Song on new Wyatt Rice album|work=Donna Hughes
|access-date=September 24, 2017|date= June 1, 2016 }}
Wyatt recorded the music instruction DVD “Advanced Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar” for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, with Rickie Simpkins, Kenny Smith, Sammy Shelor, and Tony Rice. Rice also operates Rice Recording Studio, and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at East Tennessee State University, teaching Guitar.
Rice is also a member of the Crooked Road Guitar Masters, along with Claiborne Woodall, Josh Pickett, and Sammy Shelor.{{cite web |url=http://mtnsofmusic.com/shows/tcr-guitar-masters-featuring-wyatt-rice-claiborne-woodall-josh-pickett-and-sammy-shelor/|title=TCR Guitar Masters|work=Mountains of Music|access-date=September 24, 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.readingeagle.com/life/article/music-from-the-crooked-road-tour-winds-its-way-to-reading&template=mobileart
|title=Music from the Crooked Road Tour winds its way to Reading|work=Reading Eagle|access-date=September 24, 2017|author=Susan L. Pena|date=June 11, 2017}}
Discography
=Solo albums=
- 1990: New Market Gap (Rounder){{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/02/08/brace-of-banjoists-heading-this-way/c3249338-214f-4ebd-baba-52859ce3a5c2/|title=Brace of Basnjoists Heading This Way|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=September 25, 2017|author=Mike Joyce|date=February 8, 1991}}
- 1996: Picture in a Tear (Rounder) with Santa Cruz{{cite web |url=http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p00411.htm|title=Picture in a Tear: Wyatt Rice & Santa Cruz|work=Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange|access-date=September 24, 2017|author=Jim Zimmerschied}}
=With [[Tony Rice]]=
- 1982: Backwaters (Rounder)
- 1983: Church Street Blues (Sugar Hill)
- 1986: Me & My Guitar (Rounder)
- 1991: Native American (Rounder)
- 1996: Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot (Rounder)
- 2000: Unit of Measure (album) (Rounder)
- 2003: Tony Rice Guitar Method - Instructional Video (Homespun)
- 2014: Tony Rice: The Video Collection DVD'' (Rounder)
=Larry and Wyatt Rice=
- 1994: Larry and Wyatt Rice (Pinecastle)
=The Rice Brothers=
- 1989: The Rice Brothers (Rounder)
- 1994: The Rice Brothers 2 (Rounder)
=Wyatt Rice and Rickie Simpkins=
- 2001: New Acoustic Christmas (FGM)
- 2005: Pickin’ on Martina McBride (CMH)
- 2005: Pickin’ on Vince Gill (CMH)
- 2006: Pickin’ on Van Zant (CMH)
=Wyatt Rice, [[David Grier]], and [[Kenny Smith (bluegrass)|Kenny Smith]]=
- 2002: Live in Concert DVD (Flatpicking Guitar Magazine)
=The Dan Menzone and Wyatt Rice Alliance=
- 2016: Something Out of the Blue (Mountain Fever){{cite web |url=http://bluegrassmusic.com/content/2016/reviews/wyatt-rice-dan-menzone-alliance-something-blue/|title=Dan Menzone and Wyatt Rice Alliance, Something Out of the Blue|work=Bluegrass Unlimited|access-date=September 24, 2017|date=August 1, 2016}}
=Also appears on=
- 1986: Larry Rice - Hurricanes and Daydreams (Rebel)
- 1989: Bill Emerson and Pete Goble - Dixie in My Eye (Webco)
- 1990: Larry Rice - Artesia (Rebel)
- 1990: Once Again From the Top Volumes One and Two (Hay Holler Records)
- 1991: Bill Emerson - Reunion (Pinecastle)
- 1991: David Grier - Freewheeling (Rounder)
- 1994: Emerson and Taylor - Appaloosa (Pinecastle)
- 1996: Bill Emerson - Banjo Man (Pinecastle)
- 1997: Rickie Simpkins - Dancing on the Fingerboard (Pinecastle)
- 2002: Rickie Simpkins - Don't Fret It (Doobie Shea)
- 2004: Melonie Cannon - Melonie Cannon (Skaggs Family)
- 2005: Ronnie Bowman - It's Gettin' Better All the Time (Koch)
- 2005: Larry Rice - Clouds Over Carolina (Rebel)
- 2006: Jimmy Gaudreau - In Good Company (CMH)
- 2007: Donna Hughes - Gaining Wisdom (Rounder)
- 2007: Steep Canyon Rangers - Lovin' Pretty Women (Rebel)
- 2008: Melonie Cannon - And the Wheel Turns (Rural Rhythm)
- 2008: Tim Hensley - Long Monday (Rural Rhythm)
- 2008: Junior Sisk - Blue Side of the Blue Ridge (Rebel)
- 2012: Alan Bibey and Wayne Benson - The Mandolin Chronicles (Pinecastle)
- 2017: Mike Bentley - All I've Got (Union House)
=Music Instruction=
- 2000: Advanced Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar DVD (Flatpicking Guitar Magazine){{cite web |url=https://www.flatpick.com/product_p/2163.htm|title=Advanced Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar DVD|work=Flatpicking Guitar Magazine|access-date=September 24, 2017}}
=Awards=
- IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year – The Tony Rice Unit – 1991, 1995{{cite web|title=Recipient History|url=https://ibma.org/recipients-inductees/|publisher=International Bluegrass Music Association|access-date=30 April 2018}}
- IBMA Recorded Event of the Year award for "What'll I Do" - Terry Baucom - 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.prescriptionbluegrassblog.com/2013/04/banjo-man-terry-baucoms-new-single.html|title=Banjo Man Terry Baucom's New Single - "What'll I Do"|work=Prescription Bluegrass|access-date=August 16, 2017|date=April 3, 2013}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{URL|wyattrice.com/|Official website}}
- {{AllMusic | id= wyatt-rice-mn0000684987 | label= Wyatt Rice}}
- {{discogs artist|935872-Wyatt-Rice|Wyatt Rice}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rice, Wyatt}}
Category:People from Long Beach, California
Category:American acoustic guitarists
Category:American male guitarists
Category:American bluegrass guitarists
Category:American male singers
Category:Rebel Records artists
Category:Rounder Records artists
Category:Country musicians from California
Category:Songwriters from California
Category:Guitarists from Los Angeles
Category:20th-century American guitarists