Rik Emmett

Rik Emmett first gained recognition as the guitarist and frequent lead vocalist for the hard-edged prog rock band Triumph before striking out on his own in the late 1980s. Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1953, he began playing guitar shortly before adolescence and later immersed himself in classical, pop, jazz, and rock techniques. After leaving college in the early 1970s he committed to music professionally, performing with the glam-styled Justin Paige and the progressive Act III. In the middle of the decade he teamed with drummer and singer Gil Moore and bassist Mike Levine, resulting in the creation of Triumph.

Like fellow Canadian power trio Rush, the group blended prog rock and heavy metal while adding arena-rock singalong anthems to the mix. Late-1970s releases included the self-titled 1976 debut, 1977’s Rock & Roll Machine, and 1979’s Just a Game, and their elaborate stage productions—filled with complex lighting and lasers—drew strong audiences across Canada and the United States. Commercial success peaked with 1980’s Progressions of Power, 1981’s Allied Forces, 1982’s Never Surrender, and 1984’s Thunder Seven; during this period Emmett’s instrumental work appeared on numerous guitar-magazine covers. He also began contributing a monthly column to Guitar Player, supplied the comic strip “Rocktoons” to Hit Parader, and forged a lasting relationship with the Yamaha guitar company.

Cooler reactions greeted the 1985 pair Stages and The Sport of Kings. Declining interest prompted Emmett to exit Triumph in 1988, citing dissatisfaction with the band’s musical direction. Although offers arrived from Asia and Damn Yankees, he chose instead to pursue solo work. The 1990s brought a steady stream of releases—Absolutely in 1990, Ipso Facto in 1992, Spiral Notebook in 1996, Ten Invitations from the Mistress of Mr. E. and Swing Shift in 1997, plus Raw Quartet and The Spirit of Christmas in 1999, the last a collaboration with keyboardist Sam Reid—alongside regular touring. An archival 1981 Triumph concert recording, King Biscuit Flower Hour (In Concert), also surfaced in 1996.

Emmett maintained his output into the new century with Live at Berklee in 2000, Handiwork in 2002, Good Faith in 2003, and his own installment in the 20th Century Masters – Millennium Collection series, The Best of Rik Emmett. In 2007 he issued Strung Out Troubadours: Live at Hugh’s Room alongside Dave Dunlop; that same year Triumph’s original members, including Emmett, were inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. Further Strung Out Troubadours albums followed, among them 2009’s Push & Pull. In 2016 Emmett released the self-titled debut by his new project Resolution9, featuring contributions from Alex Lifeson of Rush, James LaBrie of Dream Theater, Mike Levine, and Gil Moore.