Imagine a world where you turned on your TV and a man appeared that looked like he was half corpse, half English Prince with a rotten tooth, spiked hair, velvet pants and plexi glass Dan Armstrong guitar hanging from his heroin chic frame like Excalibur. This image and many more burned into a young Rick Richards brain, who would take up his own sword and enter the battlefield of Rock & Roll.

Not only would Mr. Rick Richards survive the battle, his band The Georgia Satellites would score a hit single with the same ingredients as the half corpse, Dan Armstrong yielding Keith Richards. If having a hit record and taking over the MTV airwaves wasn’t enough, Rick was then invited to join the post Guns & Roses Izzy Stradlin and his band The Ju Ju Hounds. The fact that Izzy chose Rick as his guitar weaving partner speaks volumes about Rick’s ability, passion, and understanding of this thing we call Rock & Roll. Think about it! Izzy leaves what might be considered one of the greatest Rock & Roll bands in the world and needs a partner in crime for his solo career. Who else could it have been, but the faithful “Cult of Keith” musical disciple Rick Richards?

Rick has been able to transform his love of the blues into a life long pursuit and career as a guitarist for which many dream, but few achieve. You know you are the real McCoy when you’re with Keith Richards -- then he ask you “Does your last name really have an “S” on the end mate.”

Let’s see what Mr. Rick Richards has to tell us about his world of Rock & Roll.

What made you first want to start playing guitar?

After seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan when I was about 9, I became obsessed, not only with rock 'n roll, but with guitars. I was taken in by this functional piece of art, strapped around the necks of these almost alien long hairs, ha! The tone rang in my head like a clarion call to arms. It was all over, I was hooked!

Give us the skinny on what you are currently working on?

When I am not booked with The Georgia Satellites, I try and do other projects. Going to Europe with my mates in the Western Sizzlers next month. Playing a Hellhounds gig this month. And when anyone calls for some recording I am usually up for that.

How do you feel about your experience with fame?

My encounter with that gilded whore called fame isn't as debilitating for me as it is for others. I take it with a grain of salt and try to show respect for all people. Unless they hate the Beatles or Stones.

Is there anything missing in the current world of Rock & Roll that you can think of?

It seems music now is so fragmented. Rock & Roll as an art form has suffered a long and miserable plunge into normalcy. The genre of the blues-based, guitar-driven groups that we grew up on, has taken a back seat to programmed, shallow, pop songs. You can still find it out there, if you search for it. But I would love to hear a lot more kids taking music back to that place. Hopefully another 60's/70's scene will happen again in my lifetime...we'll see.

Ok! Tell us about Izzy Stradlin & the Ju Ju Hounds?

Izzy Stradlin & the JuJu Hounds was a great experience. Working with Chalo Quintana and Jimmy Ashurst was a highpoint for me. We all had the same take on music and life so it was priceless. As I've said many times, Izzy is a true gentleman and scholar. His artistic generosity made for an atmosphere of explosive creativity.

Do you have a great Izzy Stradlin road story that you can share with us?

One I can tell is, we had a tour bus go up in flames in Colorado. It was in the middle of an ice storm on the interstate. We were in the lead bus and the crew bus behind caught fire and burnt to the ground. All we could do was stand and helplessly watch along with the firemen. No injuries, but the crew lost all their shit. We were lucky.

How do you feel about the myth of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll?

I'm good with the sex, and the rock n roll bit. It's the drugs that'll get ya!

How important is family to Rock & Roll?

Of course, family...a warm place to fall is crucial. When you're a young buck not so important, but once you've seen things and lived a while...you figure it out.

Tell us about your favorite guitar and what makes it special to you?

I really don't have a favorite. I have a pretty solid collection that I can pick from, depending on the scenario. I'm using a Les Paul, Izzy gave me quite a bit on live gigs now. My slide standby is the Dan Armstrong Ampeg (the clear one), which I've had for over 20 years! I'll be using a Gibson 339 Memphis Model in Europe. It's brand new and sounds amazing! I still have my '58 Les Paul Jr. as the old reliable. Each one brings something to the table.

If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?

People would never text and drive and flying would go back to being fun.