Rich O'Toole

Catch Rich O'Toole on stage- - dancing, sweating, and intensely connecting with the crowd through those moody blue eyes- - and witness a supercharged live wire, a brash newcomer to the Texas scene with the confidence of a wizened veteran, pushing to please and striving for more, night after night, to the point where his personal motto, "Never, never, never quit," becomes more than a phrase, it becomes a mantra and a dedicated way of life.
That dedication has led to an eager audience awaiting the release of his second CD and already in love with the lead single and title track, "In a Minute or 2." Their patience will be rewarded with the October 2008 release of the CD with 11 new Rich O'Toole penned tracks and a little comical relief, too.
"I believe in hard work. I keep telling myself it will pay off. Keep writing good music and it will pay off," The determination and certainty in his voice is unequivocal as Rich O'Toole lays out his plans for his career and life. The 24-year-old rising star of the Texas music scene lays that intensity on the line for audiences hungry for a new kind of country music- - young, exciting, alive.
With only the first CD Seventeen under his belt, O'Toole reached heights no other young Texas star has achieved. Four singles from his debut reached the top 10 of the Texas music chart. It's an accomplishment that pleases him, but doesn't quite surprise him.
"I've always wanted to succeed; I've always had this drive in me. I always had that fuel to go be somebody. I didn't want to be famous, I just wanted to achieve."
Growing up in Houston, he focused his drive and desire into playing baseball. Rich became part of a national tournament championship team when he was only 16 years old, but surgery on his pitching arm dramatically drove Rich in new directions. He picked up a guitar, began writing and, soon, performing.
Seeing a whole new field opening up to him, he began playing the open mic nights, watching the audience reaction and teaching himself how to improve with each performance. The women of College Station took notice and the crowds began to follow this young handsome, moody singer/songwriter who could rock unselfconsciously in front of ten or hundreds.
Living up to a promise to his parents to obtain his college degree, Rich released his first single "Queen of the Misfits" on the day he received his degree from Texas A&M and began, in earnest, his musical career. As that song climbed the charts, he became a vagabond on the highways of Texas, meeting fans that had discovered him through his songs and finding his unique spot on the Texas music scene.
That first CD, Seventeen, garnered statewide attention for Rich O'Toole and opened more doors for live shows. Radio stations quickly hopped on board the singles "Queen of the Misfits" and "Kelly Comes to Town," hearing a fresh new sound that the growing young audience was clamoring for. As those songs, along with "Alone" and "Summertime" climbed to the top of the charts, Rich found new measures of success that meant something to him personally.
"This year I'm on the Robert Earl Keen tribute album that comes out in the fall. That is so awesome. In high school, my sophomore year, I was introduced to Robert Earl Keen's music. He's been my idol ever since." At the Dickson Productions' annual Musicfest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, in January 2008, Rich joined over 20 other performers, including heavyweights Cody Canada, Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, and Brandon Rhyder, paying tribute to their songwriting hero Robert Earl Keen. "I was bugging them to get on that show and I chose 'Love's a Word I Never Throw Around,' my favorite Robert Earl Keen song. I am so blessed to be on there. That's a dream come true for me."
Even before the release of Seventeen, Rich was writing for the new CD In a Minute or 2. As his songwriting has matured, he has sought advice from the experienced. "I got together with Drew Womack for help on songwriting and publishing. Drew asked to see some of my notes. I said, 'Drew I don't write anything down.' The whole Seventeen album was off the top of my head in the studio, all the music and every lyric was straight from the head. My philosophy is that if I can't remember it the next day it wasn't good enough to use."
The new album, the second from 24-year-old Rich O'Toole, shows a new maturity, but continues the vibrant energy that brought so many converts to the Rich O'Toole shows over the last two years. The title cut and first single is "In a Minute or 2." Rich says, "I wrote it right after Seventeen came out and I was so mad that I wasn't able to put it on that album." With his blue eyes dancing with excitement again, he declares, "Some of the best songs I've written are on this album. They are songs about being 23, 24. It's surviving the real world--love, money, just everything. Basically finding yourself at that age and realizing 'Oh my God, this is the scariest thing ever.'"
The songs on the new album range from the rowdy, electric guitar-driven "You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll" to the moody, lush, and violin-heavy "Better Off Dead." Not pigeon-holing himself, Rich sings the more Texas country sounding "Romance Rodeo," yet almost raps in the cadences and rhyme schemes of "11th Street." And his live audiences will appreciate the live cut of the crowd sing-a-long favorite, "Marijuana and Jalape?os." Eager to please an audience, yet fiercely determined to do it his way and with his style, Rich O'Toole has achieved his goals again.
Living his maxim, "Never, never, never, never quit," Rich O'Toole measures success not by money, but by how excited he is to get up in the morning. Rich O'Toole is happily succeeding. - Janice Williams