State Songs 2

The State Songs Vol. 2 continues Rick's ambitious project of arranging and recording the 50 official state songs in four volumes. Rick Pickren, a descendant of Buffalo Bill Cody, is a graduate of the University of Michigan. He has a Bachelors degree of Music in Musicology and a Masters in Acting/Directing. A member of the Illinois Arts Council Artstour and an emeritus member of the Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholars program, he travels the Midwest performing his critically acclaimed programs Illinois: Gateway To The American West, Songs From The Steel Rails, 'Songs of The Civil War', and 'The State Songs'. He is a two-time winner of the Marlboro Country Music Round Up and has shared the stage with George Strait, Merle Haggard, The Judds, Dolly Parton, Alabama, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Joe Ely, B.J. Thomas and cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell. As an actor, he portrayed the role of Jim in the original Chicago production of Pump Boys & Dinettes at the Apollo Theater. Recently, Rick portrayed producer Norman Petty in the Chicago production of 'Buddy'. He is featured in the films, Major League, While You Were Sleeping, Soul Survivors and U.S. Marshals. He has also guest starred on many TV shows including The Untouchables, ER, Early Edition, Missing Persons and Turks. This CD was made possible by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.