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Rick Vito

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Rick Vito
Rick Vito in concert with Mick Fleetwood, 2020
Rick Vito in concert with Mick Fleetwood, 2020
Background information
Birth nameRichard Vito
Born (1949-10-13) October 13, 1949 (age 75)
Darby, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenresBlues, Swing, Roots rock, World
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals, bass, keyboards
Years active1969 – present

Richard Francis Vito (born October 13, 1949) is an American guitarist and singer. He was part of Fleetwood Mac between 1987 and 1991. Vito took over as lead guitarist after Lindsey Buckingham left the group.[2] He is best known for his blues and slide guitar style, whose influences include Elmore James, Robert Nighthawk, B.B. King, Alvino Rey, Les Paul, George Harrison, and Keith Richards.

Vito began his professional career in 1971 upon moving to Los Angeles and subsequently joining Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, also working with Todd Rundgren and Derek & The Dominoes’ Bobby Whitlock. Vito has been a featured player on Bob Seger's albums since 1986. He played the slide guitar solo on the Bob Seger song (and Chevy truck TV commercial), "Like a Rock". He was a long-standing member of Bonnie Raitt's touring band in the 1980s and 1990s. Vito also recorded and/ or performed with John Mayall, Jackson Browne, Little Richard, Roger McGuinn, Roy Orbison, Dobie Gray, John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks, Albert Collins, Dolly Parton, Maria Muldaur, Bob Seger, and many others. Vito has had ten solo CD releases and tours often in Europe and the US with his own band. He produced rockabilly singer Rosie Flores' CD, Speed of Sound. His CD/DVD production collaboration with Mick Fleetwood, Blue Again!, received a Grammy nomination in 2010. Vito is also the recipient of the W.C. Handy Blues Award. Mojo on My Side was released in Europe in 2014, and worldwide in 2015 on Delta Groove Records with two new tracks. His CD Soulshaker was released on 5 April 2019; his latest and 11th solo CD, Cadillac Man, was released March 22, 2024.[3]

Vito performed with the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band at Byron Bay Bluesfest over Easter 2016.[4] He also participated in an all-star tribute to Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green at the London Palladium in February 2020. Billed as "Mick Fleetwood & Friends," the show highlighted Vito's guitar and vocals alongside of Billy Gibbons, Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, Jonny Lang, John Mayall, Christine McVie, Bill Wyman, Jeremy Spencer and more.

Fleetwood Mac

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Vito performing with Mick Fleetwood and Pete Townshend in 2020

In 1987, Lindsey Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac before the band began their Shake the Cage Tour.[5] Mick Fleetwood then asked Rick Vito to join the group as the lead guitarist. Vito and Billy Burnette officially joined Fleetwood Mac in September 1987.[6] He first appeared on the band's 1988 Greatest Hits album, which featured Vito's playing on "As Long as You Follow" and "No Questions Asked", which were recorded specifically for the compilation.[7] He then worked with the band on their Behind the Mask album, which was released in 1990.[8] Vito quit Fleetwood Mac in November 1991 to begin working on a solo career.[9] Despite his departure from the group, Vito joined his former bandmates Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Burnette, and John McVie to play the pre-game show of Super Bowl XXVII in January 1993.[10]

Vito later joined the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band in 2008 and recorded a live album, Blue Again!, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album in 2010. Vito split from the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band in 2017,[11] although he did perform with Fleetwood in 2021 for a performance honoring the music of Peter Green, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac.[12]

Filmography

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Discography

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  • 1969 The Wright Brothers (an unreleased 4-song EP, recorded/produced by colleague Neil Kempfer-Stocker; Vito-lead guitar).

Fleetwood Mac

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The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band Featuring Rick Vito

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  • 2008 : Blue Again!
  • 2016 : Live at the Belly Up Tavern

Solo albums

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Guest performances

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DVDs

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References

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  1. ^ Adelson, Martin E. "Rick Vito". Discog.fleetwoodmac.net. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  2. ^ Furman, Leah (2003). Rumours Exposed: The Unauthorized Biography of Fleetwood Mac. Kensington Publishing Corporation. p. 196. ISBN 9780806524726. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  3. ^ Records, Blue Heart. "Rick Vito Announces New Album, 'Cadillac Man'". PRLog. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  4. ^ "Byron Bay Bluesfest". Bluesfest.com.au. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  5. ^ Ressner, Jeffrey (1987-09-24). "Lindsey Buckingham Leaves Fleetwood Mac". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  6. ^ Adelson, Martin E. "Rick Vito". Fleetwoodmac.net. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  7. ^ Britt, Bruce (26 December 1988). "Fleetwood Mac: 20 Years of High Drama, Superb Music". Toledo Blade. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  8. ^ Giles, Jeff (April 10, 2015). "How Fleetwood Mac Tried to Move on With 'Behind the Mask'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  9. ^ "Fleetwood Mac Timeline for the 1990s". Fleetwoodmac-uk.com. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  10. ^ "Say You Love Me 1993 Superbowl". YouTube. 2015-02-14. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  11. ^ Gunther, Marty (September 13, 2019). "Featured Interview – Rick Vito". Blues Blast Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Wosahla, Steve (May 20, 2021). "At Mick Fleetwood's Tribute To Peter Green, Rick Vito Had The Best Spot • Americana Highways". Americana Highways. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
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