Singers Songwriters - Top Hits - Yesterday's Hits
Independent Artists
Biography

Born: Robert Ricketts - Stage Name: Bobby Ricks

Bobby was born and schooled in Sydney Australia. From a very young age, his parents encouraged him to follow his obvious drawing to music. Mum and dad have since passed away, but would be delighted with their sons musical progress.

His dad possessed a beautiful baritone voice and was a multi instrumentalist. Several sisters played piano. Bobbys young sister Patricia sings like a bird, while his big brother Fred, inspired him. Freddy was a professional singer and guitarist. Bobby was naturally sent to piano lessons under Mrs Weir. Later away from family influence in the army, a guitar became the main weapon.

Upon completing his trade time as a motor mechanic, Bobby did a stint with the Australian regular army, coming back to civilian life via military hospital.

Doug Gilmour super salesman in Brisbane, Queensland Australia, heard Bobby rehearsing in the kitchen of a home Doug was renting to him. It was from this point on, a career in floor shows began. Doug got him a successful start at Tommy's Night Club in Brisbane and suggested instead of Ricketts he should call himself Bobby Ricks. Bobby could not get used to the fact, that just for doing something he loves, mainly singing, people paid him for it.

After a few years of touring around doing floor shows, Bobby was advised by a friend to join a versatile band as a front man. It would help to develop the voice, as the grind was longer and harder than forty five minute floor shows. This proved a good move. He was pulling songs from the Fifty's to now, Ballads, Rock and his beloved American Country Music.

Never being one to be idle, original compositions started to flow, between all the behind the scenes rehearsing and fault finding. At one stage, about a hundred new songs were sitting on Bobbys home office desk, ready to be sent to EMI. But, not to be, for a fire destroyed the song's along with the family home.

Two men that will always remain close to Bobbys heart, are Daryle Levis his first manager and Slim Dusty, a legend in Australian Country Music in his own time. He spent many months on tour with Slim and his talented wife, Joyce. Like many people, Bobby enjoyed Slim's company. Slim always gave his audience a good show. Bobby in particular admired Slim's diction, his songs and performances you could always understand what he was singing about. Bobby has always been a songwriter and while touring with Slim, he wrote songs for Slim with a co writer. On Disc -Slim Dusty The Man Who Is Australia 5CD set. "Death Row" : Composers Bobby Ricks/L Tooley. Included in this set. Released at the same time as his 100th album was The Man Who Is Australia, a 5cd set. On Disc- Slim Dusty–Travelling Country Man, "I Broke A Promise" by Bobby Ricks/Tooley, "Althea" by Bobby Ricks/Tooley. First Released August 1977.

Daryle Levis booked Bobby into top venue's. The two were a great team. Bobby has received many accolades and awards for his efforts, especially for the Country Music Industry. Has performed on lots of major shows and done heaps of television, including 32 appearances on "Reg Lindsays - Country Homestead", "John Crooke Breakfast Show", "ABC's Country Roads", "The Izzy Di Show" and many other T.V Shows

One of Bobby's best recording's, "Room at the Top of the Stairs", remained at the number one slot for thirteen weeks. He says there's more to come. It's not just a matter of singing great, one must develop other skills to go with the song. There are many choices and means to do this, he says.

1978 Bobby took the back seat in his career to create "The Ipswich Country Music Captial of Queensland Association", Bobby's creation, The Queensland Country Music Awards began at Ipswich 1980. Bobby worked very hard on this project and many volunteers joined this exciting Association. That wonderful body held many successful events, not least being "The Professional Country Music Workshop", Truckies Hoedowns, Bush Wing Dings to name a few. In between events he convinced Brisbane Radio 4KQ to go 100% Country. Yes! Bob had a win with the board and set about organising their Country Music programmes. Guess what, they went to Number One overall station, Great Stuff.

One time Max Ellis and Gary Robinson, The Then Guroo's of Tamworth Country Music, flew Bobby and Patricia to Tamworth, they had a very interesting lunch with Gary. Soon after a Book suggested by Bobby (The History of Country Music) was published.

After many ups and downs, successes and failures, Bobby and his beautiful wife Patricia, along with a dozen kids, (two marriages) arrived at a great moment in their lives. With their three remaining children they moved into the Australian bush, among the gum trees, dingo's (wild dogs) snakes, kangaroo's, spiders, beautiful wedge tail eagles, many other wild animals and Patricia's menagerie of animals, where they built a stone home.

Gospel music grabbed Bobby by the heart and soul. He met Angus Woodhead Woodhead Studios at Kingaroy in the near Queensland bush. Mutual admiration soon set in. Angus proved invaluable not only as a sound engineer and excellent producer, but also is a brilliant musician, and as Bobby says, "We have become good mates". Angus produced and engineered Bobbys song called "Angel of the Skies". He made it come alive. The song won a National title for best Country Gospel. Bobby says Angus is a very rare find. He is multi gifted and yet so human and honest with realistic down to earth prices in his studio.

Bobby's latest CD is entitled "Angel of the Skies" and is released under Bobby's given name Bob Ricketts.

Today, he and long life friend Shane Leonard Peters have teamed up as a Duo "Two Worn Out Cowboys", working the clubs and Touring. The name of the duo came out of a song Shane wrote and recorded by both of them. The pair with their Unique gifts of vocals and songwriting, not to mention their incredible ability to entertain their audience's with great humour. They are top Professional Entertainers with that magic, many duo's lack.

Behind the scenes Shane and Bobby are agonising over 40 or so of their own compositions, trying to decide the best mix for their first "Two Worn Out Cowby's Album"

Born: Shane Leonard Peters

You know the old saying, he was born to be an entertainer? I’am sure that phrase was created from observing a young Shane Leonard Peters. That tag fits him to a tee. Growing up in Brisbane Australia, and an uncle Con, a Merle Haggard and George Jones fan, Shane had to turn into a country music bug. Still at school and rearing to go, he performed two of his own songs at the schools concert. The audience loved those originals so much, they wanted more. That school performance, zapped Shane into a singer with a great desire to set his life into music. Rock, and ballads soon took place along side his beloved country.

Mid teens was a great learning curve for this young man in a huge hurry. He studied all the good performers and talked to others, of the do’s and dont’s of the business. There were many dissapointments and heartaches, he had to cope with. But, like a born trouper, Shane won the war.

Bobby Ricks will never forget that first meeting with Shane, at the newly established Dustys Country Music Club, in Ipswich City. The pair hit it off really well and became the best of mates, that bond remains to this day. Once again Shane Leonard Peters showed his talented standard, by taking out the top Queensland Country Music Award, beating a large line up of very gifted people. Shane composed a song, "Two Worn out Cowboys", which he and Bobby recorded. The song was a winner for Shane, enjoying good air play and raves.

This man had lived a tough life at times, even had a run in with the law, and did the run from an irate father, who had a broken hearted daughter. Alas, boys do become men eventually.

He toured Australia first in the early eightys and after a few years of constantly being on the road, he took a break from the scene and became a very good car salesman. The call of the wild and a few great songs he had penned, pulled Shane back into music. The car lot owner, Terry Goode, was so impressed by his voice and compositions, that he arranged for Shane to fly to Americas Nashville Tennesee. It was there, he recorded four tracks with producer Andy King, an Aussie ex-pat. One of the tracks, "She Thinks I Still Care", received rave reviews, in Casbox and Billboard Magazine. Shane became the first Australian independent artist to make it onto the American charts. George Jones was impressed by Shanes voice, and the two talked for hours.

Returning homesick to Australia, a stint of solo work followed and then, back to the bands, touring again. That is , until he met the love of his life, Samantha, whom in 2008 she said yes. Shane insisted Bobby Ricks sings at the wedding Reception, and it was there, the two mates planned to form the duo "Two Worn Out Cowboys", after the song Shane wrote back so long ago, and both recorded. Bobby says he loves that lightning fast ad lib of Shanes, he can come out with something to fit the mood, in a flash. Both are very experienced versatile entertainers. Shane Leonard Peters a born singer song writer and great bloke, at your service.