by Michelle Arce and Dianne Austin
Simply put, Rickey Smith is pure talent. Figuratively speaking,
you could call him a great big ball of smoldering fire that just
needs to get back on a good roll at this point in time.
A huge presence on the American Idol 2 stage, he was the one who chanted
'Hercules' after delivering his knock-em-dead performances; a
proclamation always made with a grin from ear to ear that would touch
the heart of even the toughest critic--who at the time, of course, was
Simon Legree (ahem), excuse me, Simon Cowell.
Now, the critics seem to be everywhere for the twenty-five year old Wichita, Kansas-born Smith who wants one thing--a record contract. You'd think it would be an easy thing to secure after the kind of exposure he received on the popular TV talent show two seasons ago, but not so. Smith placed eighth amongst the finalists, and it's usually only the top three who are signed by major record labels to record. This last year has been spent hitting the pavement, knocking on doors and dialing up numbers to try to make the connections needed to secure the record deal.
He's still got the passion and the talent, but he's not that crazy about
the negotiating.
I met Rickey in October 2004 at a CD release party that was held for his
buddy, Clay Aiken, in Los Angeles. He was one of the special guests, and we had the pleasure of hearing him speak about his link to Clay and his memories of AI2. He was larger than life, open and warm, clever on the quick return, and had a striking appearance.
My memory of him from the show was the same. But what I really
remember was the intensely sweet, melodic quality of his voice.
Rickey was one of my favorites, and I'll admit, he was my pick over
Ruben. If it had gone my way, Rickey would have been one of the top
three. However, it went another.
My colleague Michelle was the one to chat most recently with the former AI finalist and find out some interesting information about a lot of
different areas of his life.
So here's the scoop on Smith--past, present and future:
Rickey answers the phone. A piano is heard being played in the background.
M: Is that you playing?
R: Yeah.
M: You're good--how long have you played?
R: I don't know, I just taught myself, I really haven't been playing
that long--maybe two or three years.
M: At what age did you start singing?
R: Well my mama used to make me sing at church when I was a little boy,
but I couldn't stand it. I was about eight or nine.
M: And even though you didn't like it, you would still sing?
R: Well, you know, you can't too much say no to mama (laughing), so yes
I would.
M: Was she involved in the choir?
R: At one time--she was one of the choir directors.
M: Would you sing solos?
R: Yeah, or she would have me and my brother and sister sing songs
together.
M: Do you remember your first solo?
R: The first solo I ever sang at church was 'It's Nobody's
Fault But Mine.'
M: Do you remember how you felt when you sang it?
R: Nervous as heck.
M: And what was the response after you sang?
R: Oh, they gave me a standing ovation and were like 'Oh we didn't know
you could sing--look at you with your pretty voice!'
M: How old were you at the time?
R: I was about eleven (sings a verse to me unexpectedly--it's beautiful).
M: Name a couple of great things you remember about your childhood.
R: Oh man--that's a good question because there were so many great
things about my childhood. I had two loving parents--no matter what they
were going through they never took it out on their children. Even when
they divorced, they managed to keep some sense.
M: When did they--
R: They split up when I was in 7th grade. My brother and sister and I
are all close. We were raised with great understanding--we couldn't have
everything that the other kids had but we never went without. If my mom
or dad couldn't afford things they would let us know why they couldn't
afford it. The older we got we realized that those are just material things--just be grateful for what you've got.
M: Sounds like you have wonderful parents! Ok--now on the flip side, if
you could, in retrospect, change one thing about your childhood, what
would it be?
R: I would have played more instruments, especially piano--well, I would
have LEARNED piano! I did play trumpet and baritone for awhile though.
M: I remember reading that you've studied opera before.
R: Yes I sure did, I studied under David Anabitarte and Dr. Eusok Dubiel
all through college.
M: Where did you go to school?
R: Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas.
M: What did you study?
R: Music performance and music education.
M: Did you get your degree?
R: Actually I sat out to do American Idol, but I plan on going
back--I've got about a year and a half left.
M: So what has Rickey Smith been up to lately?
R: Man it is so hard to get a record deal. That's what I'm working on.
I'm looking for a new manager and agent.
M: You were doing back-up for Ruben (Studdard) for awhile weren't you? I
remember seeing you guys perform on Mad TV last year.
R: Yeah I did for a little bit; a couple of months. That was a lot of fun.
M: I heard you were asked to audition for the part of Benny in Rent on Broadway. That's exciting!
R: Yeah, I auditioned in the beginning of the year. It's for future
replacements so when that time comes, hopefully they will call me!
M: Had you thought about doing Broadway before?
R: Oh my gosh, yes. I would love to! I mean I WAS a Performance major in
college.
M: Tell me, what's the weirdest thing a fan has ever done while you were on tour?
R: Nothing too weird. Fans would throw stuff up to me like 'Hercules' dolls, 'Hercules' videos, roses--things like that.
M: Someone THREW A 'Hercules' video on stage? That could have hurt
somebody!
R: No they didn't throw it near anybody, and they were always close to the stage so they would just kind of toss it.
M: Oh Ok, they didn't chuck it!
R: (laughing) No!
M: Do you see yourself touring in the future?
R: I would love to tour with somebody, that would be fun, but I would really love to tour solo--that's an ultimate dream of mine. You have to be a pretty big star to tour solo.
M: What is another goal of yours?
R: Acting. I want to be the next Will Smith!
M: Well, you do have the same last name! Who are your musical influences?
R: David Anabitarte, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince--I have so many I can't name 'em all--Gladys Knight, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey…
M: Safe to say you have quite a few influences! What would you say are three of your best qualities?
R: Hmm. You know, I can't name just three--alright, let's see...
M: (laughing)
R: No, you know--I’m not trying to brag. I'm sorry--it's nothing like that.
M: Soooo…name more than three!
R: Well, I’m honest, I believe in loyalty, and I care about children. I care about people. A lot of people see music as a business and I see it as more than a business. I see it as people trying to pursue their dreams, especially for me.
M: What is the single most valuable thing you have learned so far in life?
R: To not give up, to keep hope alive. Because if you do give up, you'll
just be saying 'shoulda, woulda, coulda' the rest of your life--so don't
give up.
M: What has been the most terrifying moment of your life so far?
R: Right now, like I said before, it is so hard to get a record
deal. I feel like I'm being rejected by everybody. I didn't come to
California to just sit. I really want to pursue my music, and it's hard
for people to take American Idol seriously if you're not the winner (or
runner-up). I just want to succeed, and it's very scary right now to be
in a position where you feel like you're not succeeding in what you want
to do. Here it is almost two years later (after AI), so at this moment--it is
terrifying for me.
M: Now for two completely off-the-beaten-path questions--if you could have personally witnessed one or two events in history, what would you wantto have seen?
R: I would have loved to have seen Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, and
I would have loved to have seen the Beatles perform.
M: Ditto for me, definitely. Ok--if you had to eat the same meal for
the rest of your life, morning, noon and night, without worrying about
nutrition, what would it be?
R: I could eat fried chicken anytime, that or lasagna or spaghetti or
hamburgers. Maybe not all in one meal though.
M: If you could run any single company, organization or institution in
the world, which would you choose and why?
R: I'd have to say the record business, because I know I would be one of
those people that wouldn't have one of those 'bad rep' stories. I
believe that music is music--even though I understand that business
comes first, I would still show loyalty to my artists. I wouldn't just
drop an artist off the face of the earth, unless they did something to
warrant it. I'm not going to treat them like crap; I'm not going to
treat them like they're below me. I don't care how long you've been in
the music industry--everybody's there to learn, everybody learns
something new every day. I wouldn't treat someone like they’re a pawn, like they don't know anything, but on the same note I don't want to be treated like that either. And I don't believe in cheating people out of their money.
M: Does it seem to you that all of that happens regularly in the business?
R: Yeah--it seems like it happens a lot.
M: Well then I nominate Rickey Smith to take over the music industry and
make some changes!
It truly was a joy talking with Rickey. He is a kind-hearted, funny person, and after speaking with him numerous times I can see why he had difficulty identifying only three of his best qualities.
This man has a lot to offer, and I am sure it is only a matter of time before the entire world is able to see that. He told me that he realized at age seventeen that he was serious about music; about making it a profession. It seems to me that anything worth having is worth working for, and although it has been a few years since Rickey first made the decision to enter the music business, I have no doubt that he will achieve what he has set out to accomplish.
I asked him where he saw himself five years from now. He said, 'In five years I see myself successful. I see myself on E! True Hollywood Story about the struggles that Rickey Smith had to go through.'
Hercules is defined in Webster's Dictionary as a Greek god 'renowned for his strength and courage.' I find it fitting that people remember Rickey Smith not only for his talented singing voice, but also for his Eddie Murphy impression from the Nutty Professor. I believe he possesses the Herculean spirit and tenacity needed to succeed in the entertainment industry.
We wish him well and we’ll definitely be watching for him!
Michelle Arce is a concierge at a beautiful hotel atop Nob Hill in San Francisco. She is also Dianne Austin's editor and enjoys singing and acting.
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