Rick? If I had to choose, I'd say he's somewhere between "the big brother I never wanted" and "the nicest guy I've never met".

Musically, he's introduced me to a lot of new sounds and interesting folks like Creaking Tree, Arnie, Chris, Susan (list could go on forever), as well as always being available to listen to my 'screaming fit of the day' and help out with any technical problems. It's a godsend, but I don't think that is his true gift.

I think Rick's true gift is that he can play people just as well as he can play any instrument. I don't mean it to sound catty, it is simply that Rick can coax good things and sweet sounds out of damn near anybody. The strangest things, and the strangest people, come off with a charm that is all their own. Over the past few years, I can remember a lot of unnecessary (from his perspective at least!) phone calls and PMs about everything from baseball, to boys, to bar chords, to bad jobs (I still tip my hat to Professor Banjo), to bad 'pauvre nous' chemo days, and always ending with the same: "Hang tough you, Love, Rick".

Whenever two curse words fight to escape my mouth at the same time, I think of Rick.
~JE (la Troyienne)

An example of that bad influence ...sheesh....