Rick McKay & Freeway - High Sierra Romford 2 April 1994

Here is another vintage British country video. This is Rick McKay and Freeway recorded at the High Sierra CMC, Romford, Essex on 26 April 1994, shortly before Rick moved to Nashville.

Having learned to play guitar at 9 years old Rick McKay, went on to make his first live appearance at the age of 11 as part of an instrumental duo. After playing lead guitar in a number of bands while still at school he eventually started his own band, The Silhouettes.

In 1987 Rick was offered the role of ‘Young Elvis’ in the touring theatre production of Forever Elvis. Rick stayed with the show until 1990, when he left to pursue his solo career.

Between 1989 and 1992 Rick toured the cabaret circuit, opening shows for such names as Mike Reid, Roy Walker, The Searchers, The Rockin’ Berries, and many others. He also released his first solo album, Beggars can be choosy. The album contained 12 songs, 10 of which were written by Rick.

Rick joined his first country band, Hicksville, in 1992 and played the clubs for around a year. The band broke up and Rick began work on his own country band. The line-up as featured in this video are Rick McKay (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Dave Carmichael (lead guitar), Tony Hinks (bass and harmony vocals) and Ray Lucking (drums). His new band, Freeway, got off to a great start until Rick made a trip to Nashville in 1994 and was spotted by an independent record label owner who signed him to GMC Records. Rick moved to Nashville in July 1994, shortly after this video was made and there he worked in the Carousel Club in Printer’s Alley, when he wasn’t writing songs and recording.

He moved back to England in the middle of 1995 and went back on the road with his band, his Nashville recording career having been put on hold when his main sponsor sadly died. Over the next couple of years Rick worked between England and Nashville, working on his career here, while trying to get his US career back on track.

Throughout 1998 Rick toured with the duo, North and South, before once again putting his own band back on the road. The band toured until the end of 2000 when Rick left to concentrate on his new theatre production. The band continued to tour under a new name with a new singer and guitarist.

Rick toured the country in the role of Garth Brooks in The Thunder Rolls, a tribute to the music and career of Garth Brooks. Rick was replaced in the show in 2001 due to his belief that Garth's music was not being shown the respect it deserves. The show was under rehearsed, and suffered from a lack of commitment by some of those involved.

In 2002 Rick co-formed the duo Pure Country with Jodie Mitchell. Pure Country duo paid tribute to the more traditional country music both old and new. The duo toured extensively and gave Jodie the opportunity to expand her vocal talents, as well as her abilities as a musician. In 2002 there was also a four-piece collaboration between Pure Country and Kalibre which was called Nightshift.

Rick and Jodie were married in August 2006. As well as touring with Jodie in Pure Country, Rick has been involved with a number of theatre productions including Hank, Cash and Cline. Three legendary names in the world of Country music are brought together in one show. Hank Williams as played by Marc Robinson, Johnny Cash as played by Rick McKay and Patsy Cline as played by Sue Lowry. They performed their greatest and best loved hits, supported by The Driftwood Cowboys. Buddy Holly’s Winter Dance Party is based on the Winter Dance Party tour which claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in 1959. Since October 2013, Rick has been performing Johnny Cash Revisited which is his tribute to the legendary ’man in black’, Johnny Cash. The show includes all the biggest hits and more from all 5 decades of Cash's career. Rick performs this show solo or duo featuring Jodie as June Carter or with a fully live backing band.

These days Rick and Jodie still occasionally perform as a duo but they now concentrate on Johnny Cash Revisited which will be back as soon as live music is once again allowed in theatres

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