That band soon changed its name to Hammer. After graduating high school, Medlocke formed his first band, Fresh Garbage (inspired by the Spirit song), in which he was lead vocalist and drummer. He had a melodic singing voice and had taught himself to sing and play guitar at the same time. Over the next several years Medlocke mastered the banjo, guitar, drums, mandolin, dobro and keyboards.

He began teaching himself to play the guitar by age five and was playing drums in Shorty's band at age eight. Medlocke started performing onstage at age three, and his musical abilities increased over the years. His grandfather, Paul 'Shorty' Medlocke, was a bluegrass musician and taught his grandson to play a miniature banjo. He was raised by his maternal grandparents. Rickey Medlocke was born Rickey Lynn Green on February 17, 1950, in Jacksonville, Florida. Medlocke would rejoin Blackfoot in 1972 and later returned to Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1996 as a guitarist with whom he continues to tour and record today.īeing of Native American ancestry, specifically Lakota Sioux and Cherokee, Medlocke was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008. During his first stint with Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1971 to 1972, he played drums and sang lead on a few songs that would initially be released on 1978's 'First and Last'. Rick 'Rickey' Medlocke (born February 17, 1950) is an American musician, best known as the frontman/guitarist for the Southern rock band Blackfoot and a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

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