Ricochet

Ricochet burst onto the scene in spring 1996, rapidly ranking among country music’s most promising newcomers and occupying the country charts’ Top 40 for much of the year. Formation occurred in 1993 when drummer Jeff Bryant recruited singer/guitarist Heath Wright for his existing band Lariat, already featuring Bryant’s brother Junior on fiddle and mandolin. Lariat dissolved shortly after Wright joined, yet the musicians opted to regroup under the new name Ricochet. Auditions were held to complete the lineup, with several players moving through the ranks over the following months. The roster stabilized at the start of 1994 upon the additions of Greg Cook on bass and backing vocals, Teddy Carr on steel guitar, and Eddie Kilgallon handling keyboards, rhythm guitar, saxophone, and backing vocals. For the next two years the group toured the South and West Coast, steadily expanding its audience while sharpening an energetic, edgy neo-traditional approach and devoting offstage hours to rehearsals and songwriting.

The original manager’s acquaintance with producer Ron Chancey, famed for his Oak Ridge Boys work, proved pivotal. Chancey listened to the band and arranged a demo session, then forwarded the tape to his son Blake, A&R director at Columbia Records in Nashville. After witnessing Ricochet live, Blake Chancey and fellow Columbia executives offered a development deal supervised by producer Ed Seay, whose credits include Martina McBride and Collin Raye. The arrangement became a full recording contract in early 1995, and the band tracked its debut album that spring. The remainder of the year was spent supporting Merle Haggard, Doug Stone, and Charlie Daniels on the road.

Ron Chancey and Ed Seay produced the self-titled debut album, issued in early 1996. Preceded by the Top Five single “What Do I Know,” the project proved successful and remained on the charts for more than a year as “Daddy’s Money” reached number one and “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” entered the Top Ten. The follow-up, Blink of an Eye, arrived the next year but sold poorly despite generating three minor-charting singles. Ricochet placed three additional tracks modestly on the charts in 1998-1999; those songs had been earmarked for the unreleased album What a Ride. Personnel shifts followed when Jeff Bryant, hampered by carpal tunnel syndrome, vacated the drum seat and was replaced by Tim Chewning in August 1999, while Shannon Farmer assumed steel-guitar duties from Teddy Carr. The band simultaneously reworked its third album, releasing the results as What You Leave Behind in September 2000.