Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Richard Banker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Richard, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

When I was very young my parents took me to see the Ritchie Valens film La Bamba. After that night, I wanted write songs, sing, and be in movies.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

While in college at Colorado State University, I got an agent and started to pursue acting. After graduation, I moved to LA with a friend and fellow actor. I met a songwriter in an acting class and started writing songs and playing in a rock band. Despite having some success in the LA, area band members kept quitting. After a few years, I decided to start singing and writing country songs. I played country to mostly rock crowds on the Sunset Strip, including venues like the Viper Room and House of Blues. When the pandemic hit, I no longer had a place to live in LA. One of my best friends in Weatherford, Texas, invited me to come out to Texas and look for gigs. I played shows in the North Texas area and set up a second tour for later that fall. After finishing the second tour, I visited Austin. The first place I went was the Broken Spoke, a legendary Texas honky-tonk. They invited me to perform and I decided Austin was the place for me. I am currently working on my debut album with renowned Texas musician/producer Chris Gage. My first release, “Dancing With the Texas Moon” is currently being played on the radio across the country.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

To be the first Trillionaire musician! Just kidding. I love Country music and bands like the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers. I plan to mix solid country songwriting with a jam style live performance. Turn up the dial of the jam on Texas country to a 7 or 8.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I came to Texas with $300 and a cheap guitar. I slept on my friend’s couch/floor in Weatherford for the first 45 days while establishing shows in North Texas. I also lived in a campground on Lake Travis and slept in a tent for the first 5 months I lived in Austin.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://richardbanker.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardbankermusic/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@richardbanker?si=vaoIPX0AaOzSw3C9

Image Credits

Marshall Moon