Rick Danko: Rick Danko: One More for the Ripper

Rick Danko

This site is all about Rick Danko, the charismatic bass and acoustic guitar player and one of the three lead singers for the legendary rock group, The Band. Rick's iconic plaintive tenor, his ethereal, one-of-a-kind harmonies and his loping, melodic, percussive bass playing were a large part of The Band's signature sound. Equally integral to The Band's mystique--and to their secure and enviable perch high atop the upper crust of rock and roll--was Rick's magnetic, larger-than-life persona--part innocent country boy, part wandering troubadour, part reluctant rock star.

Rick Danko was about music. He was about melody. He was about harmony. He was about authenticity. He was about vulnerability. Rick was--and always will be--the epitome of unadorned, unaffected, unparalleled cool.

I worked with Rick for many years. He was a dear friend and a major influence who "taught me how to seek the path." This site is part of a promise I made to him a long time ago. I hope you enjoy it.

Please note that all content on this site is copyright-protected. All articles, essays, and other written materials (c) Carol Caffin, unless otherwise noted. Do Not Reproduce.

Rick's brother Terry sent me these pics today and I asked him if I could share them with you. This is Terry’s youngest son, Drew, playing—what else?—a Gibson Ripper.

If the bass looks familiar, here’s why: “It’s the one I used for many years in California,” says Terry, who toured with Rick in the late 70s and was a regular fixture at The Band’s famed Shangri-La Studios. “Before that, Rick used it in the studio.” Rick, as his die-hard fans know, loved his Gibson Rippers. “It’s nice to see that bass still being used by a Danko,” says proud papa Terry. We concur. Woo-hoo, Drew!