Award-winning songwriter Richard Middleton has earned a reputation as one of the Northwest’s most talented and versatile songwriters and performers. His songs are astonishing and riveting, both for their emotional clarity and their craftsmanship. His warm, soulful voice, intricate arrangements, and masterfully groovy guitar cast a memorable spell, seamlessly blending his diverse roots in folk, rock, soul, jazz, and African music.

Richard has been performing professionally throughout the Northwest for over 22 years as a soloist, bandleader, and sideman. His first instrument was the piano, which he taught himself to play from the age of 9, and by the age of 16, he was already playing professionally in an otherwise all-black, twenty-to-thirty-something funk band in some of Seattle’s rougher halls and nightclubs.

It was then that he also began to write his own songs, and first taught himself to play the guitar. He later became a founding member of the storied rock-funk band, Paisley Sin, playing Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, rhythm guitar, harmonica, and backing vocals. From there, he went on to study jazz piano at Cornish College of the Arts, where he earned his BFA (graduating summa cum laude) in 1989. After college, Richard played in bands for several more years, fronting his own group, Slang–which included Julie Wolf (Ani diFranco, Laura Love) on rhythm guitar, Scott Mercado (Candlebox) on drums, and John Silverman (Toy Sun, Group Virage) on bass–and later playing lead guitar in the legendary jam band Tough Mama, which included Dale Fanning on drums and Arne Livingston on bass (both of Living Daylights).

Throughout this period, Richard’s songwriting continued to deepen and mature, and in 1994 he finally struck out on his own as a solo performer. Working the Northwest’s many clubs and coffeehouses, he perfected the powerful songs and captivating performance style he’s become known for in recent years. In 1998, he was a Top Five Winner in the LakeFolkFest emerging songwriter competition. Richard’s much-anticipated debut CD, WEB, was released in 2002, and has received high praise from critics, fans, and colleagues alike.

In addition to working as a soloist, Richard is a sought-after sideman, session musician, arranger, and producer. He has played lead guitar and keyboards with many highly regarded West Coast songwriters, including Erin Corday, Joanne Rand, Larry Murante, Kym Tuvim, and Brad Warren. He’s the lead guitarist with the celebrated folk-soul trio, Reggie Garrett and the Snake Oil Peddlers, and co-producer of their latest release, Seasons. His arranging and instrumental contributions can be heard on albums by Kym Tuvim, Kathryn Mostow, Carrie Clark, Jim Vick, Joe Jencks, and other respected Northwest songwriters.

Richard is also a dedicated and respected teacher. He has taught songwriting at Cornish College of the Arts, and teaches privately as well. His private guitar, piano, and songwriting students have included many established and emerging Northwest songwriters and musicians. Richard's column, "Inside Music," ran in the Victory Review for four years, and continues to attract appreciative readers around the world through his online archive (see the Resources page). He has also written reviews for SingOut! magazine.

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> Selected Discography

To hear songs from Richard's album, WEB, go to the Listen page.
To learn more about WEB, visit the Debut Album page.
To order your own copy, go to the Order CDs page.