Ricky Fitzpatrick: Journal

FYI, according to Myspace traffic reports and the Top Artist Charts, I posted this morning as one of the Top 50 Acoustic Artists in North GA! Awesome. Myspace page views (over at www.myspace.com/rickyfitzpatrickmusic), song plays and messages are at an all-time high and growing every single day, and I certainly owe a debt of gratitude to everyone for their ongoing support!

Also, we also hit the Folk and Folk Rock charts for one of the Top 100 artists in the entire state of GA. Also VERY cool.

Keep it up! And thank you!

Ricky

Lots of new stuff in the works. We are planning a new CD for release in August, called “Not A Dark Day”. As usual, there will be solo acoustic piece on there, but this is the most commercial, radio-friendly recording we’ve ever planned. Lots of tracks. Lots of music. Lots of surprises. And some of the best songs I’ve ever written…in my opinion of course. (Ha!) Our biggest undertaking to date. So stay tuned and get ready for the best RF release ever.

Also signed up for Amie Street’s digital download program. Very cool. Very cheap for me and the fans. Lots of songs are still free. Over 200 downloads so far this week…and still going. Yeah! “Emma’s Song” is kicking it…well into the top ten on AS’s Folk/Acoustic Charts. I’m stoked.

Everyone's been emailing calling, coming over and asking me about the Nashville trip (and I love it), but I thought I'd just type up a brief overview of it and let everyone know how things went.

The trip was wonderful, to say the least. I had hoped for positive feedback on the songs I had written and some excitement about my singing. We got lots of both. I pitched several songs (Mississippi Moonshine, Forever & A Day, Ballad of BTK) to several publishers, made a ton of co-writing connections with rising and soon-to-be rising stars in town, learned to navigate the Nashville Interstate system (or lack thereof) and got to hear and meet some of the real heroes who are writing the hits we hear today. There were a lot of folks - Joe Leathers who wrote "(I Thought I Was) Tough", Chuck Allen Floyd (another major writer in town), Nicole Witt (incredible singer and writer and she just signed a deal with Curb Records), Barry Dean (writer of "God's Will"/Martina McBride and "Small"/Carrie Underwood's newest single). We were just spellbound.

Also hung out a lot with Barbara Cloyd, who is the big-time Nashville person to know, plus she runs the talent at both the Bluebird Cafe and Lyrix Cafe. Barbara also wrote "I Guess You Had to be There" (Lorrie Morgan). We had dinner at her house, drank a few beers and then jammed with a dozen or so of the other writers til about 2AM. Good times. We got to hit The Bluebird Café, Richard's and River Street Café. All with either amazing food, entertainment or both. Also made our rounds to Tootsie's, The Stage, Legends, The Ryman and of course 16th avenue, home to every record label in town like Curb, Lyric Street, Universal, Sony.

Things do move slow for writers and artists in Music City, and it all comes down to who you know. And this was my first trip up in a while. So this is not the top of the stairs. But it was so unbelievably productive and necessary and now we are just watching the road, keeping things in gear and moving forward. Also, the chance to co-write is critical in Nashville and co-writing with someone already established is about the only way in. So we're developing those relationships, planning co-writing sessions with people who are in turn, co-writing with the major players. Then that will turn into the next step of writing with the hit-makers and getting radio play and so on.

Unbelievable trip though. I was shocked for people to make such a fuss over my songs and my singing. Tons of co-writing offers, already. It was exciting and humbling. But it did validate things for me. The reaction to what we did was enough to convince me that we belong there. I don't feel like a fish out of water now…just a tiny fish in a huge pond.

And that was pretty much, the trip. Hopefully, more good news to come, down the road!

We are headed out next week up the road to Nashville. Been a long, long time since I visited the center of the songwriter’s universe, but it feels good to be cruising back up there. The ride, alone is worth the trip. The country is so beautiful. I’ll be playing songs for a few publishers and anticipating good news on that. Thanks everyone, for your support thus far. The web site is rockin’ and the Myspace site just added its 1000th friend! And we’re still adding 20-50 friends every single day! Good things are on the horizon. I’ll snap lots of pix, grab a few videos and share them when we get back. Also, Ashley at The Times in Gainesville may be doing something of a pictography of the trip. Stay tuned for that. Til we hit red clay again…take care. Peace…Ricky

What a great day! Saturday at the ALF 07 was just perfect. Huge crowd, great fans, good sound (thanks Mark!). Thank you Taresa for bringing your camera...you have an unbelievable eye. Thanks Donna for bringing Zander (?). Sam & George, sorry you couldn't make it this time. Ruby, I'm so sorry I missed you and Buddy! Clarice, it was so good to see you there. Pastor and Mrs A, so good to see y'all again...the dance team was remarkable! Esther, thanks for reminding me about the good old days at Wally World! :) Kim & John, thank you for being the very best of friends and being so supportive. Robert, what a pleasure to meet you...hope you enjoy the CD. And Kevin, Ashley and Mason, thank you a million for making my day truly memorable. For everyone who didn't make it, no sweat. See you Oct 19 at Borders in Athens!

Just off of a performance at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rites. Absolutely amazing. After a fairly cool drive downtown to ATL, I made my way into the colossal (and beautiful) CHOA building that covers…seemed like, several city blocks. Perfectly mannered receptionists made me welcome and I toured the lobby and snapped a few pix while waiting. Peggy Douglas, my volunteer coordinator came down and took me up to the play room, which is where I would perform.

A few chairs, tune up, washing of the hands and I was ready to go.

The kids were prompt and timely. Wow. ( Why do we get late-itus as we get older???) But they came in…some in wheelchairs, some with masks over their little faces, some with IVs and other implements that let the world know how sick they were. But amazingly, I didn’t hear any of them complain or whine or beg for pity. They were just…kids. 2-5-sih. Goofy. Silly. Amazingly intelligent. And cool.

We kicked it off with “Oh Susannah”, which the kids dug, but the parents and staff liked even more. James Taylor comparisons started up. Then we got down to a little John Denver “Country Roads” and the kids were warming up. I think they were liking the guitar more than me.

Finally, after discovering that we had a couple of budding musicians in our midst, we broke out the heavy stuff. “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, “The ABC Song” and “The Wheels on the Bus” and we were rockin’! I found out quick that the right song makes all the difference.

We rocked on with a mix of favorite kid songs along with classic pop and country stuff. Even threw in an original with “Jot ‘Em Down”…which brought up an intro to a lady and her son who live in Maysville. Cool. We also sang an impromptu performance of “123 Like a Bird I Sing” at the request of her son. We all then learned the meaning of “on the fly”.

We also learned about Dobie Gray and all rocked on to “Drift Away”…kids and parents alike and then capped off the set with a killer performance of “Supercalifragileisticexpialidocious”, which the kids thought was an amazing word.

All in all, it was truly the best experience I’ve ever had, in my entire musical career. Really. It was magical. To see the smiles and hear the laughter and see the kids singing and clapping and doing the “spider” motions…it made me realize that as musicians, we really do have an incredible gift. Not that we’re the greatest vocalist or guitarist or writer…or maybe we are…but regardless of our LEVEL of talent, we have the ABILITY to completely change a person’s life. Not just their day, but a life.

I’ll be doing this now ‘til I die. This was like a dream for me. If you are a musician, contact me about how you can get involved with the Healing Power of Music. And if you aren’t, contact me to help volunteer in other areas. I promise, you will never be the same.

Ricky

The new group HPM is just flat-out taking off! I never expected people to be so responsive to it. We are gathering sponsorship form corporate America and planning some very cool stuff. We also have a CD in the works, with some of our affiliated artists from as far away as Ireland, Australia, the UK, Canada...heck, even New York City! Serioulsy, you'll love it. Keep an ear to the ground! Til next itme...later! Ricky

VOTING IS OPEN

…for the Simpsonized Fan Giveaway! Go on over to the PICTURES page, find your favorite Simpsonized fan pic in the SIMPSONIZED FANS & FRIENDS folder and post their name in the POST YOUR COMMENTS section.

Winners will be announced Sept 20, so that doesn’t leave much time. Get your vote in…get your friends to vote…vote as many times as you want…prizes include CDs, tshirts, free music downloads, autographed items, redeemable Fitz Bucks and more!

Every vote wins a "secret" prize!

See you there!

Ricky

Just a quick word to everyone…concert bookings for The Healing Power of Music group are looking great. We have shows booked at:

BJC Medical Center, Commerce, GA
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA

And we are discussing arrangements with representatives at:

Athens Regional Medical Center, Athens, GA
St Mary’s Healthcare System, Athens, GA
NE GA Medical Center, Gainesville, GA

Things are developing absolutely perfectly. I am so excited to see so many people reaching out to these activities. We are truly going to be touching a lot of people and making a real difference for them.

If you have any suggestions for additional places to contact, patients who may enjoy a concert or families or organizations who could use the help of HPM, financially, please let us know so we can get in touch.

Thank you, all, for your kindness and willingness to share your musical gifts for the healing of others. NEVER underestimate the power of a song!

Ricky

For more information on how you can learn more, volunteer or become a friend of The Healing Power of Music, please go to http://groups.myspace.com/healingpowerofmusic.

Thank you to everyone who came out to Saving Grace this past Saturday night. I had a WONDERFUL time and I hope you all did too. Thanks to all our new friends who signed up as Moonshiner fans! Thanks to all the folks who took home CDs and teeshirts. Thank you, Dalton for being our camera-man. (The video is a hit!) What a wonderful night and what a great chance for me to get to know NEW friends see some OLD friends and catch up while time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’. If you don’t know what I mean, then you’re probably still young enough to think that times creeps. Nah…it flies! And never does it fly faster than the couple of hours I get to sing and play. Wow, it’s never long enough. Thanks everyone for making my night such a memorable one. Here’s to you…and here’s to many more evenings together! See you next time. Ricky

Just got word today that Ballad of BTK is in the top ten on GA Jukebox. Whoa! What a cool thing! It's never been about popularity or things lke that, but it is remarkably validating to see something like that...AND to share the chart with artists that I see doing great things like Zac Brown, Corey Smith and the Drive By Truckers. I love my job! :)

Cre and I headed on out to Saving Grace Cafe this weekend to scope it out before the gig Sept 1. Not really knowing what to expect, we figured on a small hole-in-the-wall cafe with sandwiches and milkshakes. No way. This is a serious place. Very nice. Very cool. Awesome food. The atmosphere is quiet and cozy adn the stage is right out there. Can't wait to play it. Hope to see you all there! Later...

Ricky

So many exciting things are happening, adn all so fast! It seems like every day brings some new and cool development. Acousticmusic.com has added me to thier list of Artist links. AM.C is probably THE biggest acousitc music resource on the web. It's really a thrill to be a part of the site over there. Thank you guys!

Oh man…I am so excited. “Ballad of Billy the Kid” has just been added to rotation on The GA Jukebox, an internet only station. Wow. Right there with some real heavy hitters on the scene when it comes to GA and GA based artists. Kudos to Gooch over at the GAJB! Thanks to you! And thanks to all the fans out there who are already requesting more airplay. You guys rock!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Ricky has tied the knot with his sweetheart and inspiration for songs such as "Forever & A Day" and "Better From Here", Cretia Williams. The small ceremony was Sunday July 1 at their new home in Apple Valley. And good luck...it rained! A small gathering of family and close friends joined the happy couple for an afternoon of sweet romance, good food and fun times. Wedding pix were clicked by photographer guru, Taresa Sibcy (see Ricky's other pix for more of Taresa's work). And the bride's sister, Reeda Allen, did the pastor thing and made it all legal! Here's looking forward to a lifetime of happiness and memories.

You guys…!!! What a rush. “Mine” has officially tapped the NUMBER ONE spot in the Acoustic charts on Soundclick! We’re celebrating! Pop the cork and fill the glasses! Seriously, thank you to everyone who has been listening, downloading and sharing the site and its contents with all their family and friends. Thank you, and please, keep up the great work. You guys are awesome! RF

Whoa! After only one day of having updated songs and info on the new Soundclick site, you guys have pushed Mine all the way to number 34 on the play charts!!! That's 34 out of over 11,000 songs!!! Awesome! What a rush! Thank you to everyone who is listening and downloading music!!! RF

As you might have noticed on the homepage, our info with Soundclick has been recently updated and is now available for your viewing pleasure. Neat stuff. Go check it out and see what you think. And while you're there, check out the new downloads for 75 cent each. AND...the new digital only release of "The Same Only Different" with 2 bonus hidden tracks! Check the home page out for a link to the site and a link to the all-new Internet Radio Station, WRFM, that plays 100% RF tunes, all the time!

TIl next time!

Ricky

The Flagpole Music Awards are in swing again for 07! Wow. Seems like it just passed. A year goes by pretty fast, I guess. I'm encouraging everyone to get out and vote this year. And so far, from my own little Rick-o-meter, votes are coming in in a steady stream. Folk...we may just have a shot at this thing! As soon as I have totals, I'll pass along. In the meanwhile, thank you all, who have already voted. You guys have surprised and humbled me greatly with your support. What a group! Here's to anticipated success!!!

The new CD “The Same Only Different” is officially out and about and really doing well. Talk is good and feedback is positive on all of it, so I’m happy! Just ‘graphed one for Donna…thanks, Donna for letting me. I never get tired of signing stuff! And thanks for the listen to Ernie Halter…wow. Really nice stuff. I’ll be ordering up a copy as soon as I can. Thanks everyone for all your support so far. Hope you all are loving the new CD. See you soon! Peace…RF

Hi all. Just passing along an unexpected blurb in Athens' Flagpole mag. Cool. I always love to be in the Flagpole. CHeck it out here...http://flagpole.com/Music/Threats/2007-03-07
Thanks. Ricky

If you haven't gotten an announcement by now, please go to either the home apge or the MDC page and get the scoop on the current and latest release The Same...Only Better, recorded LIVE at Eddie's Attic in Atlanta. I've always wanted to doa live release and we've been sitting on these tracks, letting them go to waste. So I decided to release them in a new, spontaneous package. I hope everyone will enjoy it AND get plenty of downloadable tracks and CDs for their frends, family, neighbors, blah, blah... Thanks for everyone's support as we forge ahead!

Just wanted to dole out a couple of well-deserved thank yous. This past weekend was such a nice, relaxing weekend. Made my birthday really special. Sam and George, thank you for the totally kick-ass dinner! And for the clock. Awesome. And thank you Tim for the words of wisdom…well taken, I promise you. And Cretia, even more than my All-Stars, thank you for your companionship. You made me realize more than ever that you are truly my soul mate. This was the best birthday ever. Thank you everyone!!!

Just wanted to publicly say thanks to everyone who has gone out of their way to make today a great day. It's been a fantastic day! Cretia, thank you for my All-stars...awesome! Hope to see everyone soon! RF

In case you haven't heard "Emma's Song" yet, please go on over to the music page and check it out. We have some new material coming down the pike, very much like this. Hope you all relax and enjoy it while it plays as much as I enjoyed recording it. One of my fave pieces so far.