Paul Ricketts can be described as your average Australian bloke with a love for the bush and farm life.  He lives in rural Qld on the family  farm raising sheep and goats with his wife and children.  The country life has definitely influenced his style of music, leaning more towards the story telling / outlaw side of country music.  Being the son of country singer Bobby Ricks also helped shape his love for traditional country music;growing up with and still performing the good old stuff like Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Johnny Cash and other favourites. 

 

Studying the Theory of Music in his teenage years, Paul carried his knowledge and passion for music with him throughout his life, practicing and jamming with other musicians every chance he could, and also playing a short spirt of gigs with a folk trio. 

 

Songwriting was fast becoming part of Pauls musical pathway with a focus on recording his debut single “My Side Of Town” which was released in December that year.  This song has been very good to Paul, getting into the finals at the Tamworth Songwriters Awards earlier this year under the New Songwriter category.  Although he didn’t bring home the bacon, it definitely opened up some new doors for his career as an emerging artist.

 

Another original project has been the single release  “The  Ballad of Johnny Bad”; a song inspired by a hair raising event Paul and his wife Simone had when they had given a rogue stranger a lift. 

 

Pauls abilities on his beloved Telecaster and acoustic guitar are also a great feature of his act and uphold the solid traditions of the country guitar picker.

 

 

In December 2023 it was announced that Paul is the Inaugural Winner of the Thornton Young Award; which nurtures the talent of an Australian Bush/Heritage Artist. Under the guidance of Lindsay Waddington Music and backed by the CMAA, this is a massive leg up to boosting Paul’s career in the Australian Country Music Industry.  Being mentored and having such a strong support network for 2024 is a dream come true for Paul, and he is currently working on material for a new single, which will also have a music video (all part of the Thornton Young Award).