If music is food for the soul, then Rick Spice has sustained the spirits of music fans for decades.
Before moving to Noyea Riverside four years ago, the singer, multi-instrumentalist and comedian lived an eventful life in the limelight, with nationwide touring, radio and television featuring on his rock ‘n’ roll résumé.
At school, Sydney-born Rick joined the choir and learned guitar, saxophone and drums before his performing skills earned him a radio job at 2UW working on the popular program, Bobby Limb’s Teenage Club.
“Bobby was the compere and saxophone player, along with Dawn Lake, and I would get up and do a couple of songs—it was all live on air,” Rick said.
While Rick focuses his array of talents on self-recording and gifting CDs to friends, his great potential as a young musician saw him invited to play with a multi-million-selling recording artist.
“One night I had a phone call and was told to be at such-and-such a place and that I would be working with Winifred Atwell,” he said.
“At the end we had a good old chat and she thanked me for coming along.”
While playing a gig in Melbourne, Rick and his band were headhunted and a move north followed.
“There was a talent scout from the Surfers Paradise Hotel in the audience one night, and he asked us to come up,” he said.
“We stayed for five-and-a-half years.
“In the middle of that we did a six-week tour of all the American Air Force bases in Japan.”
After a stint heading up his own band at the Gold Coast’s Miami Hotel, he went on tour as a stand-up comic, playing clubs all over Australia.
“I’ve been very lucky.”
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