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Nashville Blues Artist To Present Program at Sunset River  Marketplace

Nashville guitarist Rickey Godfrey is scheduled to speak and perform at Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash, N.C. on Wednesday, April 13, as part of the gallery’s Creative Exchange series. The presentation, which is titled The Life and Times of Rickey Godfrey,  starts at 11 a.m. and runs through 12:30 p.m. Cost is $7 and includes lunch. Due to limited seating, reservations are required.

The talented musician will perform some of his music as he talks about the challenges of growing up blind and functioning in a world that is largely sight-oriented.

Blind since birth, he started studying at the age of seven, while attending the South Carolina School for the Blind. He studied classical piano and voice, and, at age 13, began playing guitar as well.

At 16, Rickey Godfrey joined his first band. He and his brother Ronnie Godfrey, also blind, soon formed their own band, Garfeel Ruff, which signed with Capitol Records in 1978 and became one of the most popular bands in the S.C. Upstate.

Since moving to Nashville in 1993, Godfrey has worked with artists such as Donna Fargo, Rufus Thomas, Junior Walker, Sam Moore, Billy Preston, Clifford Curry, E. G. Kight, Sonny Turner and Bill Pinkney, performing throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.

In 2003, Godfrey formed the Rickey Godfrey Band, which catered to beach and blues audiences in the Carolinas. He released two CDs while he had the band.  Soul Sensations earned four 2004 CBMA awards including Song of the Year for “Can’t Change My Heart.” During 2005, Godfrey posted three additional Top Tens from the album with “No One Loves You Better Than Me,” “Whatever It Takes” and “If Ten’ll Kill Me, Give Me Nine.” Once In a Lifetime Love, released 1n 2006, was also well received, earning awards for Blues Album of the Year, Group of the Year and Group Album of the Year.

Since disbanding the group, Godfrey has been a sought-after composer, session player and touring musician –including a performance with the Chocolate Thunder Band at the 2009 Montreal Jazz Festival.  He has also released his fourth solo CD, Nasty Man, a powerhouse of a record – solidly blues-driven with jazz and funk influences that give it an edge and a sound unique to the uber-talented musician.

Rickey Godfrey has been nominated by the Music City Blues Society as both Guitarist and Keyboard Player of the Year. He earned a 2008 Marion James Musician’s Aid Society award and, in 2009, Nashville’s Best Blues Keyboardist. In late 2010, the N.C. Cape Fear Blues Society chose Nasty Man as its nomination for Best Self Produced CD at the Blues Foundation awards.

Ginny Lassiter, owner of Sunset River Marketplace said, “The gallery is a big supporter of the performing arts, and we are delighted that Rickey has time to come and talk to us.”

To reserve your spot, call the gallery at 910-575-5999 or send an email to lassiter@sunsetrivermarketplace.com.

To watch for Richey’s scheduled appearances or request him (with or without a band) for your event, check him out on Speakers International.