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Richard Nielsen (born December 22, 1946 in Rockford, Illinois) is the lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Cheap Trick. For the band's first few albums, Nielsen wrote the majority of the material himself. He is well known for having many custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, including his famous five-neck guitar. He sings lead vocals on the demo for the song "World's Greatest Lover", which appears on the Cheap Trick boxed set entitled Sex, America, Cheap Trick released in 1996, and the first verse of "O Claire" off the 2006 CD Rockford. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Nickname: The Forest City Country State County Township Elevation 715 ft (218 m) Coordinates , Area 56. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the genre. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, that gained popularity in the late 1970s. ... Hamer Guitars is a guitar manufacturing company founded by Jol Dantzig and business partner Paul Hamer in 1973. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Nickname: The Forest City Country State County Township Elevation 715 ft (218 m) Coordinates , Area 56. ... For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles, however saxophones have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since the 90s. ... Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, that gained popularity in the late 1970s. ... Hamer Guitars is a guitar manufacturing company founded by Jol Dantzig and business partner Paul Hamer in 1973. ... Steve Vai playing a twin-necked Ibanez A double neck guitar is a guitar that has two necks. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

He formed Cheap Trick in 1972 with bassist Tom Petersson, another Rockford, Illinois native. Before Cheap Trick, he was in a number of bands, including Grim Reapers, and Fuse. The latter recorded a one-off debut album released on Epic Records which sold poorly. After the record failed to gain any attention, the band moved to Philadelphia and the band changed their name to Sick Man Of Europe. The group toured Europe unsuccessfully in 1972 and returned to Illinois in 1973. Upon their return to Rockford, Nielsen and Petersson renamed the band Cheap Trick after adding drummer Bun E. Carlos and vocalist Randy "Xeno" Hogan. In 1974, Hogan left the band and lead singer Robin Zander joined after his contract with a Wisconsin resort was completed. Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cheap Trick is an American rock and roll band from Rockford, Illinois that gained popularity in the late 1970s. ... , Nickname: The Forest City Country State County Township Elevation 715 ft (218 m) Coordinates , Area 56. ... Epic Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony BMG. // Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. ... Cheap Trick is an American rock and roll band from Rockford, Illinois that gained popularity in the late 1970s. ... Randy Xeno Hogan was the original lead singer for the rock band Cheap Trick. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

The band was a pioneering frontrunner in the 1970s' "Power Pop" movement, which combined pop sensibilities with cranked-up guitars and powerful drumming. During the 1970s Nielsen's guitar playing was much sought-after; he was the session guitarist on albums by Hall & Oates, Alice Cooper, and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons among others. He has owned some 2000 guitars throughout his career, and never tours with less than 25. He has been a steady customer of the Hamer guitar company, having dozens of "Rick Nielsen" models built for himself over the years. He also throws personalized guitar plectrums (picks) during live shows, and any concert-goer sitting within the first 6 rows will get a pick to the upper torso;^{[citation needed]} he's an expert pick marksman and fans clamor for his guitar picks as a concert souvenir. Hall & Oates is a popular music duo made up of Daryl Hall & John Oates. ... Alice Cooper (born February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans four decades. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. ... Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ...

After floundering for the first few years of their career, the band got a break with a tour of Japan in April 1978; although the tour was downplayed in the U.S., Japan was quite smitten by the band. The consequential Japanese tour produced the blitzkrieg quintessential live rock album At Budokan. This album reached the U.S. shores only by import copies, but was reaching a legendary status by the fall of 1978. The album was officially released in the U.S. by Epic in the spring of 1979; it reached #4 on the U.S. Top 40 album charts and also spawned the #7 single "I Want You To Want Me" (written by Nielsen). "At Budokan" propelled the band into superstar status and helped Cheap Trick claim their place in rock and roll history. Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... At Budokan is a live album recorded by Cheap Trick in 1978. ...

"Surrender", another power pop tune, debuted in 1978 (written by Nielsen) from the album Heaven Tonight, and became an FM favorite as well as the band's set-closer through the years. In 1980 both Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos played on demos with former Beatle John Lennon (a musical hero of the band) for the final Lennon album Double Fantasy. Heaven Tonight is the third album by Cheap Trick. ... Power pop is a long-standing musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop music. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Heaven Tonight is the third album by Cheap Trick. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ...

Nielsen is currently co-owner of Piece Brewery and Pizzeria in Chicago, Illinois, a brewpub that has won several medals in the Great American Beer Festival for their microbrewed beer. Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... A brewpub is a microbrewery, often combined with a restaurant, that sells the majority of its beer on premises. ... ĪBold textItalic textfuckin kick assss. ... Beer barrels outside the Castle Rock microbrewery in Nottingham, England. ...

The Rick Nielsen Look

The look or appearance of Rick Nielsen on stage and in public venues can be traced to several elements. The flipped up, old style ball cap is often compared to Huntz Hall, of Bowery Boys fame. Nielsen's face in some ways resembles Huntz Hall, and some of Nielsen's on-stage antics have been compared to Hall as well. ^[1] A baseball cap worn with the bill at the front, shading the eyes A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a long, stiffened and curved peak and it is worn by men, women and children. ... Henry Huntz Hall, (August 15, 1919 - January 30, 1999) was a radio, theatrical and motion picture performer perhaps best known for his portrayal of the Dead End Kids in movies such as Angels with Dirty Faces (1938). ... The Bowery Boys were a nativist, anti-Catholic, and anti-Irish gang based North of the Five Points district of New York City. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• In one issue of MacAddict magazine, an article compared the myriad tools and options available in Adobe Photoshop to "that guy with the five-necked guitar in Cheap Trick," useful only if you actually knew what you were doing. Rick Nielsen, a subscriber to MacAddict, wrote in that he appreciated the analogy and the magazine proudly displayed a signed picture he sent to the staff in the next month's issue.

• Nielsen can be seen in Monday Night Football's Opening Theme playing his "Rockford" Guitar.

• Early look consisted of a baseball cap and cardigan sweater.

• Nielsen wrote, and performed with Cheap Trick, the theme for the television program The Colbert Report. On December 20, 2006 he appeared on the show, alongside Peter Frampton, Robert Schneider, and Chris Funk.

• Nielsen made an appearance in the film The Big One and also appeared, as himself, along with his band mates in the Eddie Murphy movie, Daddy Day Care.

• An animated film, "Rock and Rule", featured an animated animal with several of his trademark characteristics and the band contributed music for the soundtrack.

• He is still married (for over 35 years) to his first wife, Karen, and they have three sons and a daughter: Erron, Miles, Daxx, and Scarlett Nielsen.

• He was part of an all-star lineup--including Little Richard and Aerosmith's Joe Perry-- that recorded the 2006 version of the Monday Night Football theme song with Hank Williams, Jr.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... MacAddict magazine (January 2001) MacAddict is a U.S. magazine, known for its enthusiastic reader base and irreverent wit, published by Future Network USA. MacAddict was the first North American magazine focused on the Apple Macintosh to include a CD-ROM with every issue. ... Photoshop redirects here. ... MNF redirects here. ... A baseball cap worn with the bill at the front, shading the eyes A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a long, stiffened and curved peak and it is worn by men, women and children. ... A cardigan is a type of sweater/jumper with buttons or zips down the front; by contrast, a pullover does not open in front, but forms a solid tube around the torso. ... The Colbert Report (IPA ) is an American satirical television program that airs from 11:30 p. ... Peter Kenneth Frampton (born April 22, 1950 in Beckenham, Kent) is an English musician, best known today for his solo work in the mid-1970s and as one of the original members of the band Humble Pie. ... This article is about Robert Schneider, the musician. ... Chris Funk is a member of the Portland, Oregon, indie rock band, The Decemberists. ... The Big One is a movie filmed in 1996 -- and released in 1998 by Miramax Films -- by Michael Moore during his promotion tour around the United States for his book Downsize This!. Through the 47 towns he visits, Moore discovers and describes American economic failings and the fear of unemployment... For other uses, see Eddie Murphy (disambiguation). ... Daddy Day Care is a 2003 comedy film, starring Eddie Murphy. ... Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is an African-American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and was a key figure in the transition from rhythm & blues to rock and roll in the mid-1950s. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... Joe Perry may refer to: Joe Perry (American football) (born 1927) Joe Perry (musician) (born 1950) Joe Perry (snooker player) (born 1975) Joseph Perry (bishop) (born 1948) (real estate develoment) (born 1967) Category: ... MNF redirects here. ... This article is about Hank Williams, Jr. ...

References

External links

• Cheap Trick Official Site
• An interview with Rick about his collection of guitars and some guitar photos from the Hamer website