Ricky Ross (musician)

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Ricky Ross
SSE Hydro, Glasgow, 2018
Background information
Birth nameRichard Alexander Ross
Born (1957-12-22) 22 December 1957 (age 66)
Dundee, Scotland
GenresPop, alternative rock
Occupation(s)Singer, musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards
Years active1983–present
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1990)​
Websiterickyross.com

Richard Alexander Ross[1] (born 22 December 1957) is a Scottish musician who is the lead singer of the rock band Deacon Blue. Alongside his discography with Deacon Blue, Ross has released a number of solo albums: his first, So Long Ago, was released in 1984.

Biography

Early life

Ross was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1957 and attended the High School of Dundee, an independent school.[2]

Deacon Blue (1987–present)

Main article: Deacon Blue

Ross is a founding member and lead singer of the rock band

UK Singles Chart.[3]

Deacon Blue released their fourth album,

Bigger than Dynamite". Deacon Blue's next album was The Hipsters, in 2012.[4] The band released another album, A New House, in September 2014. Believers
, was released in September 2016. A concert recording of their return to the Barrowlands, Glasgow, was released on 31 March 2017.

The band's tenth studio album

City of Love was released on 6 March 2020. In February 2021, they released their eleventh studio album entitled Riding on the Tide of Love
to commercial success in both the UK and their native Scotland.

As of 2012, Deacon Blue's total album sales stood at six million,[5] with twelve UK top 40 singles, along with two UK number one albums.[5]

Solo work (1984–present)

Before the formation of Deacon Blue, he released a solo album

So Long Ago, on the Glasgow independent label Sticky Records. After the band's break-up in 1994, Ross resurrected his solo career and Epic released his second solo album What You Are
in 1996. As Ross's first solo album So Long Ago was a minor release on a relatively minor label, What You Are became his first solo release on a major label and as such is generally regarded as his debut solo album for a major label.

Ross released another album,

New Recording, on his own label in 1997. After Deacon Blue's reunion in 1999 and the release of their Walking Back Home and Homesick albums, Ross entered into a new publishing deal with Warner Chappell UK, and released another solo album, This Is the Life, through Chrysalis Records
's short-lived Papillion label, in 2002. Papillion had released Deacon Blue's Homesick album the previous year.

As part of his publishing deal with Warner Chappell, Ross began co-writing with other artists. He currently spends more time writing than on his solo career or Deacon Blue projects. To date he has written for and with

Cathy Burton, Gareth Gates, Emma Bunton, Will Young and Jamie Cullum among others.[citation needed
]

In 2005, Ross released the album Pale Rider through P3 Music. In September 2009 Ross and McIntosh released The Great Lakes, an album on the Cooking Vinyl label.[citation needed]

Ross released a collection of songs in 2013, the 12-track Trouble Came Looking, on the Edsel Recordings label. He also performed a wide-ranging UK acoustic tour in support of the album which saw him play small, intimate venues, alongside Gregor Philp.[citation needed]

Ross released the album Short Stories Vol. 1 with the label earMUSIC on 15 September 2017. The album incorporates new songs with a mix of Deacon Blue song's such as "Wages Day" and "Raintown".[citation needed]

Other work

Ross currently presents Another Country with Ricky Ross on

Bob Harris and Dermot O'Leary on BBC Radio 2. He also occasionally broadcasts for Radio 2 from the yearly Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. For his broadcasting, Ross won the International Country Broadcaster of the Year Award from the Country Music Association
in 2014.

He is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Abertay University.[6]

Personal life

Ross is married to Deacon Blue member Lorraine McIntosh and they have four children together. They married on 12 May 1990.[7][8]

Discography

Solo albums

with Deacon Blue

Main article: Deacon Blue discography

EPs

Singles

Year Title Album
UK Chart[10]
1996 "Radio On" What You Are 35
1997 "Good Evening Philadelphia" 58

References

  1. ^ "Works written by: ROSS RICHARD ALEXANDER". ACE Title Search. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
  2. ^ "Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross in Concert". High School of Dundee. 11 June 2013. FP, Ricky Ross, Class of 1976, Deacon Blue's front man ...
  3. ^ "DEACON BLUE – full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Deacon Blue". Rickyross.com. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Deacon Blue & Ricky Ross Official Site – About". Deaconblue.com. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Ricky Ross to receive Honorary degree from Abertay University". Abertay.ac.uk. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  7. ^ [1] Archived 20 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Watt, Laura. "Ricky Ross in tribute to tragic mum Andrea Kearney". Daily Record. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  9. ^ "Deacon Blue Share "Riding on the Tide of Love" Lyric Video - Watch + Listen". Rock 'N' Load. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2021. Deacon Blue will release Riding on the Tide of Love, which features eight brand new songs, on February 5 via earMUSIC.
  10. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
    .

External links
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