Biography
Born in Brighton, Rich Somers received his first guitar at 11 years of age and started trying to emulate some of his favorite musicians. It was the likes of Wilson Pickett, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, The Eagles and many others who all later became an inspiration to Rich's individual songwriting talent.
Rich left school and trained as an antique restorer and worked his way to running his own business in the Brighton area but there was still a burning ambition inside to express himself through music and this wasn't possible through the restoration business so Rich Summers started spreading his wings. It was these early travels to Bermuda, Mexico, Australia, Barbados, and India which prompted Rich's song writing career and without realizing it, "Terracotta Skies" was now in the making.
As the portfolio of songs grew, the passion for playing live increased and intensified, as Rich played set after set around the resort bars of Mexico. "Terracotta Skies" was dreamt up while enjoying a Mexican sunset late on one balmy summers evening. "Better Way of Life" was inspired by that same Mexican scene that Rich viewed and the song paints a thousand pictures.
A poignant moment came in Kerala, India when while traveling in the area, the horrific tsunami of December 2004 hit the region wiping out much of the coastline of Sri Lanka and India's south west corner. This gave Rich a whole new perspective on life and was a serious reality check. This can be heard in two songs, "The Words" and "Stuck on the Ceiling" which were both written in the aftermath of that incredible natural disaster.
Rich was an avid fan of "The Tube" and when the news that Paula Yates had moved into the next dimension the song "She Follows Him" was a response which helped Rich overcome his sadness to the news he read in the tabloids.
The bottom line is this. As long as Rich has his guitar, a hammock and a bar nearby, it doesn't matter where in the world he is, the inspiration will continue to flow.
Back home in Brighton in 2002, Rich performed in a duo playing the local scene for a couple of years and requests of a record started coming in, so under the banner of "Terracotta Skies" the recording journey began.
In the summer of 2006, Rich got to work with producer Phil Taylor and musicians Pete Riley, Phil Williams and Richard Barrett, all who empathized with his style of songwriting, and after nearly two years of very hard work, "Terracotta Skies" by Rich Somers was finally born.
Rich, it's only my humble opinion, but keep up the good work friend. Your songs are a true inspiration!