Ritchie Pickett
Encyclopedia
Ritchie Pickett was a New Zealand country music singer-songwriter who was born in Morrinsville, in the province of Waikato
. Pickett has been described as one of New Zealand's "kings of country/rock".
He began playing in rock 'n' roll bands such as Graffiti, which toured New Zealand with singer Tom Sharplin in the mid-1970s, before joining heavy metal/prog rock band Think, with whom he recorded an album.
Think relocated to Sydney
, Australia
, where they broke up and Pickett formed his own band called Snuff. In 1981, Pickett was transported back to Waikato Hospital in New Zealand.
In the early 1980s, he formed country music band Ritchie Pickett & the Inlaws which toured New Zealand relentlessly and released an acclaimed LP, but disbanded in 1985. He was also a regular performer on the high-rating primetime television show That's Country.
Pickett fronted several Waikato bands through the late 1980s and early 1990s, including the Jones Boys, the Fat Band, Stingray Martini's Excellent Duckbeast (featuring Tim Armstrong) and the Disturbance, before working mainly under his own name.
In a newspaper article detailing Bay of Plenty music of the late 1980s it was reported, "Ruling the roost at the time – or at least Tauranga's most well-known performer thanks to a stint on TV and a major label album (LP of course) – was Ritchie Pickett, with his band the Jones Boys, featuring bassist/singer Chris Gunn."
Pickett finally released his debut solo album in 1998. As New Zealand rock historian John Dix wrote of local country music of the time, "It wasn't all alt. rock, hip hop and hard rock in the '90s. Country rock survived with recording acts like the Coalrangers (from the wild West Coast), Glen Moffatt, Ritchie Pickett, the Renderers and the Waltons. The most successful were the Warratahs
, signed to Pagan."
In 2004, Pickett released a live album featuring his contributions from a New Zealand tour with fellow New Zealand songwriter Glen Moffatt
and Australian roots songwriter Bill Chambers, father of Kasey Chambers
. Five years later he was part of the band The Rattler, also featuring former members of Knightshade and the Furys, which released The Leaving.
Pickett died on 13 March 2011 at the age of 56.
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
. Pickett has been described as one of New Zealand's "kings of country/rock".
He began playing in rock 'n' roll bands such as Graffiti, which toured New Zealand with singer Tom Sharplin in the mid-1970s, before joining heavy metal/prog rock band Think, with whom he recorded an album.
Think relocated to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where they broke up and Pickett formed his own band called Snuff. In 1981, Pickett was transported back to Waikato Hospital in New Zealand.
In the early 1980s, he formed country music band Ritchie Pickett & the Inlaws which toured New Zealand relentlessly and released an acclaimed LP, but disbanded in 1985. He was also a regular performer on the high-rating primetime television show That's Country.
Pickett fronted several Waikato bands through the late 1980s and early 1990s, including the Jones Boys, the Fat Band, Stingray Martini's Excellent Duckbeast (featuring Tim Armstrong) and the Disturbance, before working mainly under his own name.
In a newspaper article detailing Bay of Plenty music of the late 1980s it was reported, "Ruling the roost at the time – or at least Tauranga's most well-known performer thanks to a stint on TV and a major label album (LP of course) – was Ritchie Pickett, with his band the Jones Boys, featuring bassist/singer Chris Gunn."
Pickett finally released his debut solo album in 1998. As New Zealand rock historian John Dix wrote of local country music of the time, "It wasn't all alt. rock, hip hop and hard rock in the '90s. Country rock survived with recording acts like the Coalrangers (from the wild West Coast), Glen Moffatt, Ritchie Pickett, the Renderers and the Waltons. The most successful were the Warratahs
The Warratahs
The Warratahs are a band from Wellington, New Zealand.-Early line-ups :* Barry Saunders * Wayne Mason * Nik Brown * John Donahue * Marty Jorgensen * Clint Brown * Rob Clarkson...
, signed to Pagan."
In 2004, Pickett released a live album featuring his contributions from a New Zealand tour with fellow New Zealand songwriter Glen Moffatt
Glen Moffatt
Glen Moffatt is a New Zealand country music singer-songwriter who relocated to Brisbane, Australia, in 2002.Moffatt was born in Hastings and raised in Napier. He was a newspaper journalist before moving to Auckland at the end of 1991....
and Australian roots songwriter Bill Chambers, father of Kasey Chambers
Kasey Chambers
Kasey Chambers is an Australian country singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of steel guitar player Bill Chambers, and the sister of musician and producer Nash Chambers.-Solo success:...
. Five years later he was part of the band The Rattler, also featuring former members of Knightshade and the Furys, which released The Leaving.
Pickett died on 13 March 2011 at the age of 56.
Discography
| Albums | |||||
| Date of Release | Title | Label | Charted | Certification | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 1976 in music -January–February:*January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determine is an air rifle.... |
We'll Give You A Buzz - Think | Atlantic | - | - | Z 2001 |
| 1984 1984 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's... |
Gone For Water - Ritchie Pickett & the Inlaws | RCA | - | - | VPL1 0476 |
| 1998 1998 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia... |
All Strung Out In A Bunch | Boatshed | - | - | BSRCD007 |
| 2004 2004 in music See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol.... |
The Wicked Piano Pumpin' Pickett | Barking Records | - | - | BRCD Woof 005 |
| 2009 2009 in music The following is a list of notable events and releases in 2009 in music. Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 8.3 million copies in five weeks; more than any other artist's in the whole year... |
The Leaving - The Rattler | GunJumper Records | - | - | - |
| 2011 | White Horses | Rajon Music Group | - | - | RRCD51 |