Blackfoot Background of the Band

Blackfoot's roots began in the 1969 in Jacksonville, Florida when two bands, Fresh Garbage and Tangerine merged together to form Hammer. Unfortunately, the band was short lived and the members went their separate ways. Rick Medlocke , a tough street kid from Jacksonville then went and played with Lynyrd Skynyrd as the drummer on the album Skynyrd's First and ... Last after first offering to drive a truck or be a roadie to Ronnie Van Zant, the lead singer of Skynyrd. Rick played drums with Skynyrd for two years but began to miss fronting his own band so in the summer of 1972, Rick left Skynyrd and along with childhood friends, Jackson Spires, Charlie Hargret and bassist Lenny Stadler formed Blackfoot. Following a year of jamming in North Carolina, Greg T Walker replaced Stadler as the bassist and the band moved their headquarters to northern New Jersey.

For the next 8 years Blackfoot went from a little known band to one of the great southern rock bands of the late 1970's, culminating with the album Strikes. Unfortunately in 1984 the band split while touring and Rick was forced to buy the bands trademark name. For the next few years Blackfoot had many personnel changes but Rick, constant force behind the band, kept putting out great music that got much radio air play.

In 1994 Rick hired three great musicians to become full time members of Blackfoot. Stet Howland, ex-drummer of WASP and Mark Woerpel, talented guitarist who had played in some studio work for Rick on earlier albums along with Tim Stunson, on bass guitar. In 1996 Rick hired two new musicians, John Howsley, from Ragady Ann on lead and rythym guitar, and Bryce Barnes, from Edwin Dare,, on bass guitar to hopefully will anchor Blackfoot to the band that once packed arenas across the United States and the World.