Ricky Fataar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ricky Fataar
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Fataar in 2008
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| Born | 5 September 1952 Durban, Natal, Union of South Africa |
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| Years active | 1963–present |
Ricky Fataar was born on September 5, 1952. He is a talented musician from South Africa. Ricky is known for playing both the drums and the guitar.
He became famous for acting in a movie called The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash. This movie was a funny spoof about the famous band the Beatles. In the film, Ricky played a member of the Rutles. He was also a drummer for the Beach Boys from 1971 to 1974. For over 35 years, he has been the drummer for the singer Bonnie Raitt. Ricky Fataar also produces music and creates scores for movies and TV shows.
Contents
Ricky Fataar's Music Journey
Starting with The Flames
Ricky Fataar's first band was called the Flames. They were from his hometown of Durban, South Africa. He joined the band when he was just nine years old. The Flames recorded many songs and toured all over southern Africa. They quickly became very popular in South Africa. By the time Ricky was twelve, he was voted the "Best Rock Drummer in South Africa."
In 1968, the band moved to London and started touring in the United Kingdom. During one of their tours, Carl Wilson saw them play. Carl was a founding member of The Beach Boys. He was very impressed by their musical skills. Carl offered to sign them to the Beach Boys' new record label, Brother Records. The band then moved to Los Angeles. In 1970, they recorded their album The Flame, with Carl Wilson as the producer.
Playing with The Beach Boys
The Flames band broke up in late 1970. In March 1972, Ricky Fataar and his bandmate Blondie Chaplin joined The Beach Boys. Ricky was asked to play drums because the band's drummer, Dennis Wilson, had hurt his hand. Ricky and Blondie recorded two albums with The Beach Boys. They also started touring with them in 1971.
The 1972 Beach Boys album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" featured Ricky and Blondie. They played instruments and sang on the album. They also wrote two songs for it: "Here She Comes" and "Hold On Dear Brother." On the band's next album, Holland, released a year later, both musicians played and sang backing vocals. This included the hit song "Sail On, Sailor," where Blondie Chaplin sang the main vocals.
Ricky and Blondie also worked with Carl Wilson and Mike Love on a song called "Leaving This Town." In 1973, The Beach Boys released their first live album, The Beach Boys in Concert, which featured Ricky Fataar. This album included a live version of "We Got Love." This song was written by Chaplin, Fataar, and Love. It was supposed to be on the Holland album but was replaced by "Sail On, Sailor." Both Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin later left the band. Ricky only appeared on two songs, "It's OK" and "That Same Song," on the 1976 album 15 Big Ones.
In March 2019, Ricky Fataar received a special plaque. It was given to him by Roger Williams University in Providence, Rhode Island. The plaque celebrated The Beach Boys' concert on September 22, 1971. This concert was held at The Ramada Inn in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. This location is now Roger Williams University's Baypoint Inn & Conference Center. This concert was important because it was Ricky Fataar's first official show as a member of the band. This made The Beach Boys' live and recording group more diverse.
Becoming a Rutle
In 1978, Ricky Fataar starred in All You Need Is Cash. This film is a mockumentary, which is a fake documentary. It is often called The Rutles. The movie made fun of the real story of the Beatles. It was based on a funny sketch from the TV show Saturday Night Live.
The music for The Rutles was written by Neil Innes. He was part of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and worked with Monty Python. Ricky Fataar played the character Stig O'Hara. Stig was the band's guitarist, similar to George Harrison from The Beatles. In the movie, Stig doesn't speak any lines. He is known as "the quiet one." Ricky Fataar's wife at the time, Penelope Tree, also appeared in the film. She played Stig's wife, Penelope. Ricky played guitar, bass, sitar, and drums on The Rutles' two albums, The Rutles and Archeology. He also sang on them. He later recorded a song with Eric Idle as 'Dirk & Stig'.
Awards and Recognitions
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are a yearly event in Australia. They celebrate great achievements in all types of Australian music. These awards started in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
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| 1993 | Spotswood | Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album | Nominated |
Countdown Australian Music Awards
Countdown was a popular Australian TV show about pop music. It was shown on ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987. The show gave out music awards from 1979 to 1987. These awards were chosen by both the public and other musicians.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 1983 | himself (with Mark Moffatt) for work with Tim Finn, Renée Geyer & Pat Wilson) | Best Record Producer of the Year | Won |
| 1984 | himself (with Mark Moffatt) | Best Producer | Nominated |
Other Creative Work
Music for Film and TV
Ricky Fataar has used his talents as both an actor and a musician to create music scores for movies and television. For example, he composed the music for the Australian film Spotswood.
As a Music Producer
Ricky Fataar has also worked as a music producer for various films. These include High Tide and Les Patterson Saves the World.
Other Projects
Ricky Fataar has worked as a session musician, playing drums for many artists, including Ian McLagan. In 1978, Ricky moved to Australia. There, he recorded and helped produce albums for Tim Finn. He also played drums on the Split Enz song "Message To My Girl." He worked with other artists like Crowded House, Jenny Morris, Peter Blakeley, and Wendy Matthews.
In 1979, Ricky Fataar met Bonnie Raitt. He played on her album Green Light. In 1990, he officially joined Bonnie Raitt's band and has been a member ever since. Ricky continued to work on other projects as a sideman for many artists, often playing drums. He also played on Peter Cetera's first album.
In 1985, he worked with Tim Finn again. They appeared in the Australian film The Coca-Cola Kid. In the movie, they played in a band that performed a jingle in a recording studio.
See also
In Spanish: Ricky Fataar para niños
- The Monitors (Australian band)
