Artist description Well, a lot has happened since I came on board with mp3 in 1999. I also came on board with Rolling Stone but had to fire them because of electronic herpes. I also had to fire mp3france for excess snot, I'm sure you understand. I also was recruited by a classy little European site called Zebox. I'm going to include a couple things from them. First though, I have a book coming out. No shit, the first book will be electronic. A publisher called www.waltsan.com is putting the manuscript on CD and DVD. I'm talking to several print publishers now and since my biceps have grown noticably I think that is going to happen soon. I asked several people to do reviews on my book or music since my songs will be included. Here is what I received from Mikhail at Zebox. "Hi Dick, In case my last E-mail didn't get through.... I've been on the road and have not had access to my old e-mails. I seem to recall one from you recently about doing a short quote or review. Please send me the info again and I'll be happy to give you a great review, I think your talent is awesome!. Mikhail........"Dick Ward is a true American original". "His music and lyrics speak to the heart and to the mind. One thinks of Dylan(so eloquently eulogized in the "Ballad of Elston Gunnn". But Ward's music is no faux Dylan. He speaks with his own voice, with simplicity and total sincerity (perhaps much more than E. Gunnn himself!) Like all true poets, his songs tell the stories of our lives, and the people that populate them. I rank him with the great singer songwriters, with Kristofferson, L. Cohen, Woody Guthrie. My acknowledgement to Mikhail was, "Gulp". www.zebox.com

Music Style (Jirmenko ) Derived from Jazz/Rock with a splash of Flamenco and a taste of country. There is a technical difference also.

Musical Influences Acoustic people like James Taylor, poetry people like Elston Gunnn, and people who sang the letters like Sam Cook. My biggest musical influence, by far was a guy called Decatur Jones who died of a drug overdose out in Colorado a short while back. I don't think Decatur ever recorded anything but whenever I want to hear him I just have to pick up my guitar. Rest easy Fatboy.

Similar Artists Robbie Robertson/Ricky Lee Jones/Elston Gunnn/Nobody, I've been accused of sounding like Mark Knofler in songs like The Ballad of Elston Gunnn

Artist History I was invited, twenty years ago to showcase my music to the record company that had Tom T Hall, Tammy Wynette, and George Jones on board. Two weeks later I slipped into the groove for the first time. The rest of the story is unreal, except that its very real and very strange. I have never met anyone who has had a similiar experience. It happened to me four times back then. Each time I went into a musical groove,for lack of anything else to call it,It would overpower me and I would lose my reality base. After the forth episode over a four year period I called it quits, I thought. In 1996 my parents fell down the steps of their retirement home together. Dad didn't make it ,Mom became an instant invalid and I became an instant caregiver. In those long hours of confinement I opened Pandora's box again, only this time I had an ally I didn't have before, Lithium,sixteen years of it. When the God came to visit this time I just suffered a mild/moderate moodswing. I started recording in the summer of 1997. There are two distinct periods here separated by 17 months. I have heard CD's that were just one long song with 12 breaks. You will find these run from Alternative to Folk with stops at Jazz, Rock, and Country on the way. There is even a love song and a fairy tale. Mix this up heavy on the bass, real heavy, the best I've heard so far is both bass and treble just a few clicks from max.

Group Members I'm going to use this space to issue a warning... do not listen on Lo Fi, it is distorted and the quality too poor. Stick with Hi Fi or download.

Instruments Myself-acoustic guitar , all my tracks are live guitar and vocals together, no over dub ,mistakes or glitches, no charge. I think music should be like making love, you don't get to go back and do something over, unless your partner is a school teacher.

Albums I have 15 other pieces that I am working with now and the second CD should be ready in the fairly near future. One of the songs is a left handed love song, one is about a kid I grew up near(JT), One is about Richie Cunningham stepping through a looking glass to find himself in the middle of a terrible game.

Press Reviews MCA said I was too esoteric, but then they fired Jimmy Buffet so I can understand that, I make Jimmy sound like the nuns favorite alter boy which I understand he was once. A couple of others said I was compelling(whatever that means). A record company executive hooked me up with Don McLean's former manager because he liked my lyrics but didn't think they would fit in todays rock" no kidding", I have had a record company in NYC call and invite me for a showcase. http://asazi.com is an internet magazine who, so far, has written the best article and review. In fact its more like a biography or even a screenplay. It is featured in April and then will be archived. Thanks Elizabeth

Additional Info The week of 11/18/99 was a good one for a guy who has only been in the music business about 2 years. Two single song contracts signed

Location Sanford, North Carolina - USA

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