Rick Fines is a talented local musician with a heart of gold for the city he calls home.
His earliest influence towards music were his brothers Mathew and Grant, who were six and seven years older than him. They gave him early lessons in guitar and his first tastes of recorded music — mainly vinyl records.
Mathew Fines went on to play professionally with artists like Michelle Wright and The Lost Followers. Rick acknowledges that his brother’s experience made him feel it was possible to have a life in music. The rest is history.
Rick is an acclaimed blues player, singer and songwriter, and his craft continues to evolve.
His musical resume is chalked full of shows, workshops, collaborations and awards. And when he travels (which he often does), he does so as a proud Peterboroughian.
“I meet so many people, all these great musicians,” Rick says. “I want to introduce them to my town and my town to them.”
What better way to introduce talented friends to Peterborough than putting on a big professional show downtown at Showplace and bringing them in as guests? The annual show — which takes place this year on Saturday, February 22 — has become a special event for Rick’s fans and friends, and fans of blues and all-around great musicianship.
This year’s big show will feature Rick and his band, as well as David Vest, an Alabama-born rock ‘n’ roll piano player who now resides in Victoria, B.C. and specializes in blues, R&B, and gospel. Rick explains that David is “a tour de force piano player, in the mould of Jerry Lee Lewis.”
Another guest will be the multi-talented Carrie Chesnutt (sax, vocals, flute) who has played with greats including Paul Shaffer, Paul Butterfield, Carole Pope and more.
For more information about Rick, visit his website at wwww.rickandsuzie.com or find him on Facebook.
