Ricky Warwick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ricky Warwick
Warwick performing with Black Star Riders in 2017
Background information
Born	(1966-07-11) 11 July 1966 (age 59) Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland
Died	Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Earache Records · Nuclear Blast

Ricky Warwick (born 11 July 1966) is a musician from Northern Ireland. He is best known as the lead singer for the rock bands Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy. He also leads the Scottish hard rock band The Almighty. With The Almighty, he had many successful songs in the UK during the 1990s. Ricky Warwick has also released several solo albums. He performs his solo music with his own band, The Fighting Hearts.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Ricky Warwick was born in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. He grew up there and got his first guitar when he was 14 years old. He enjoyed playing along to songs by artists like Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash. Soon, he started listening to harder rock bands such as Motörhead and The Clash. He felt these bands helped him express himself. A year later, his family moved to Strathaven in Scotland. There, he met Stump Monroe and Floyd London, who would later become his bandmates.

Music Career Highlights

Ricky Warwick got his first big chance in the late 1980s. He joined the band New Model Army as a rhythm guitarist. He toured the world with them for their The Ghost of Cain album. He learned a lot about writing songs and performing on stage during this time.

Forming The Almighty

In 1988, Warwick left New Model Army. He then formed The Almighty with Andy 'Tantrum' McCafferty, Stump Monroe, and Floyd London. Ricky was the lead singer and played guitar. Even though the band members loved punk rock, The Almighty played a heavier style of music. It was more like heavy metal and hard rock.

In the early 1990s, The Almighty toured a lot in the UK and Europe. They opened for famous rock bands like Motörhead, Alice Cooper, and Metallica. Later, they started headlining their own shows. The band released five studio albums and one live album. These albums were popular with rock fans in the UK and Europe.

Ricky Warwick in 2011

In 1996, Ricky Warwick moved to Dublin and started a new band called (sic). They released one album in Japan. (sic) broke up in 1999, and Ricky went back to The Almighty. The Almighty released two more albums before breaking up again in 2001.

After The Almighty's second breakup, Ricky Warwick thought about quitting music. Instead, he started touring as a solo artist in 2002. He played acoustically, showing his love for country music. This tour made him love music again, and he started writing new songs.

His first solo album, Tattoos & Alibis, came out in 2003. It was mostly acoustic, very different from The Almighty's loud rock. His next album, Love Many Trust Few, was released in 2006. It was similar but had a bit more hard rock sound.

In 2006, The Almighty reunited for some special shows. They also played at the 2006 Bulldog Bash festival. That same year, Warwick joined the band Circus Diablo. They recorded one album and played at Ozzfest in 2007.

Ricky Warwick has also toured supporting famous artists like Bob Dylan and Sheryl Crow. In 2009, he released his third solo album, Belfast Confetti. It continued his acoustic guitar style.

Joining Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Ricky Warwick performing in 2014

In September 2009, Ricky Warwick was asked to join the famous band Thin Lizzy. He became their lead vocalist and guitarist. He toured with Thin Lizzy in 2011 to celebrate 25 years since the death of their original singer, Phil Lynott.

In December 2012, Ricky Warwick helped start a new band called Black Star Riders. This band was formed to release new music that he and guitarist Damon Johnson had written. Black Star Riders' first album, All Hell Breaks Loose, came out in May 2013.

In 2014, Black Star Riders recorded their second album, The Killer Instinct, released in 2015. Ricky also toured the UK with Damon Johnson, playing acoustic versions of songs. He also recorded an album of cover songs called Stairwell Troubadour.

In 2016 and 2017, Ricky Warwick performed with Thin Lizzy again. These shows celebrated the 40th anniversary of their album Jailbreak. Black Star Riders' third album, Heavy Fire, was released in 2017 and reached No. 6 on the UK album charts.

The Fighting Hearts

In 2014, Ricky Warwick released two new solo albums: Hearts on Trees and When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues). These albums featured guest musicians like Joe Elliott and Richard Fortus. Ricky put together a band called The Fighting Hearts to tour and play these songs. The band included Gary Sullivan on drums and Robbie Crane on bass.

The Fighting Hearts toured the UK in 2016. In 2022, The Fighting Hearts toured the UK and Ireland again. The band included Richard Vernon on bass, Ben Christo on guitar, and Jack Taylor on drums.

Personal Life

Ricky Warwick was married to Vanessa Young, an MTV presenter, from 1991 to 2000. He is now married to Christina and lives in the US.

He is good friends with singer Joe Elliott from Def Leppard. Ricky has sung backing vocals on Def Leppard albums, and Joe has helped Ricky with his solo albums.

Ricky Warwick is a big fan of the Northern Ireland football club Glentoran. In 2010, he released a DVD to help raise money for the club. In 2014, he played an acoustic show to raise more funds for the Glentoran Community Trust. He even wore a special Glentoran football shirt with his band logos on it, which was then auctioned off.

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Ricky Warwick para niños