dan hicks & his hot licks

Biography

Daniel Ivan Hicks (December 9, 1941 – February 6, 2016) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader born in Little Rock, Arkansas, who spent much of his life in northern California. He began his career in the spring of 1965 as the drummer for the seminal San Francisco folk-rock group The Charlatans, founded by George Hunter, performing at the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada, which inspired the psychedelic dancehall scene. Unfulfilled with rock, Hicks switched to rhythm guitar in 1967, briefly fronted the band, and left in 1968 to form Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, an acoustic ensemble featuring two female backup singers called the 'Lickettes,' blending folk, jazz, swing, and pre-rock popular music styles with witty lyrics and no drummer.[1][2][3]

The Hot Licks debuted in January 1968 at the Avalon Ballroom opening for The Charlatans and Country Joe & the Fish. After lineup changes, including violinist Symphony Sid Page replacing David LaFlamme (who formed It's a Beautiful Day), and a deal with Blue Thumb Records via Tommy LiPuma, the classic lineup—featuring vocalists Naomi Ruth Eisenberg and Maryann Price, guitarist John Girton, bassist Jaime Leopold, and drummer Bob Scott—released acclaimed albums like 'Where’s the Money?' (1969), 'Striking It Rich' (1972), and 'Last Train to Hicksville' (1973), peaking at No. 67 on Billboard. The band headlined Carnegie Hall and appeared on The Tonight Show and The Flip Wilson Show before disbanding in 1973 amid internal pressures, with Hicks gracing Rolling Stone's cover.[1][2][3]

Post-breakup, Hicks pursued solo acoustic work as 'Lonesome Dan Hicks,' composing for commercials, TV, and films, including a shelved Ralph Bakshi project released as 'It Happened...One Bite!' (1978). He revived the Hot Licks format in 1998 with Surfdog Records, releasing 'Beatin’ the Heat' (2000, featuring Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and others), 'Alive & Lickin’' (2001), 'Selected Shorts' (2004, with Willie Nelson and Van Dyke Parks), and 'Tangled Tales' (2009), touring worldwide until his death, leaving a legacy of eclectic, humorous acoustic music.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks opened for The Charlatans—the same band Hicks had recently left—at the Avalon Ballroom in 1968, surprising former bandmates.[1][3]
• The band's 1973 breakup at the height of popularity landed Hicks on the cover of Rolling Stone with the feature 'Enigmas On Thin Ice'.[2]
• Hicks composed music for a never-released Ralph Bakshi animated film, later issued as his 1978 album 'It Happened...One Bite!' with his own cover artwork.[1][2]
• Their Red Dog Saloon gigs in 1965 directly inspired San Francisco's psychedelic dancehall scene.[1][2][3]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• The Charlatans - early band that shaped his entry into San Francisco music scene as drummer (Red Dog Saloon performances (1965)) [1965-1968]

Key Collaborators

• Symphony Sid Page - jazz violinist, core member of classic Hot Licks lineup (Where’s the Money?, Striking It Rich, Last Train to Hicksville) [1968-1973]
• Naomi Ruth Eisenberg - Lickette vocalist in classic lineup (Striking It Rich, Last Train to Hicksville) [1971-1973]
• Maryann Price - Lickette vocalist in classic lineup (Striking It Rich, Last Train to Hicksville) [1971-1973]
• John Girton - guitarist in classic lineup (Striking It Rich, Last Train to Hicksville) [1971-1973]
• Jaime Leopold - bassist in early and classic lineups (Original Recordings, Last Train to Hicksville) [1969-1973]
• Tommy LiPuma - producer who signed them to Blue Thumb Records (Where’s the Money?, Striking It Rich, Last Train to Hicksville) [1969-1973]
• Willie Nelson - guest contributor on later album (Selected Shorts) [2004]
• Van Dyke Parks - guest contributor on later album (Selected Shorts) [2004]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia