Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, John R. Cash, Bob Wills, Wynn Stewart, Marty Robbins, Bobby Bare, Jimmy C. Newman, Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb(a great man!), Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Steam Train Maury Graham, Hobo Bill, Jimmie Rodgers (the first sound I remember - trains and yodeling, Narvel Felts (What a tremendous voice!)
Neye Benziyor?
Traditional or Classic Country with a little Rockabilly thrown in.
Here are a few photos from "days gone by".........we have many more, but too many to post.
For any of you who do not know already, Rick passed from this world on May 1st, 2009. Below is his Obituary. He was the most talented, postive person ever born and his memory will live on throughout eternity. He left lots of songs, poems, paintings and many other forms of his expressive artwork behind. Please feel free to express any sentiment, memory or feelings you may have about the Giant of man who was Rick Sikes. It was my greatest honor to have been his wife and even through great and heavy odds, he prevailed until he was totally exhausted. As any good soldier would do, he fought a good fight with no regrets and nothing to be ashamed of. My heart aches and there is a big gaping hole, but life will go on for me and I will always hold him up with the greatest respect and dignity. He was one helluva a man.
RICK SIKES
August 5, 1935 - May 1, 2009
Rick Sikes, 73, died at his home in Coleman, Texas on May 1, 2009. Rick, born James Richard Sikes on August 5, 1935 in Coleman, was a man of many hats. From a Farm Boy to a Roughneck to a Texas Musician to a Convict to a Loving Husband and Father, Rick lived his life and played his music to the fullest.
His first love of music came before he could speak as he listened to Jimmie Rodgers with his family. Rick played music at every opportunity and always dreamed of being a cowboy musician. After growing up on a farm he started working in oilfields at the age of 17 and played with local bands on the weekends. He formed a band shortly thereafter, called "Rick Sikes and the Rhythm Rebels". Rick had his own music show at K-PAR TV in Abilene, Texas in 1964 and the Rhythm Rebels played all over the states of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and California. Rick had the distinct pleasure and honor of playing with Dean Beard, Tommy Overstreet, Bob Wills, Red Foley, Willie Nelson, Bobby Bare, Sonny James, Stonewall Jackson, Loretta Lynn and Jimmy C. Newman, just to name a few.
In 1971, Rick was arrested and charged with bank robbery. He was tried, found guilty and sentenced to 25 years and 50 years to run consecutively and sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary. Being a true rebel, he struggled greatly with being in prison, however, he came to follow the words of Teddy Roosevelt: "Always do the best you can with what you have where you are". Keeping with that positive outlook, Rick formed a band in prison called Rick Sikes and the Survivors. He wrote a song called "From the Bottle to the Needle", and was given permission to put together a recording studio. To this day, it is the only known recording studio inside of a Federal prison. He was released from prison in August 1985 and was married to Janice K. Smith, his longtime love, one week after his release. He opened his own business in Coleman called Sikes Signs and put all of his energy, creative abilities and talents towards building a home, raising two young girls, and making up for lost time. He did not pick up his guitar or actively pursue any music interests after getting out of prison, for many years. In 1999, his close friend, Roxy Gordon, and others including good friend, Steam Train Maury "King of the Hobos" (who named Rick the Music Man), pushed him to start playing and singing again.
Over the span of Rick's life he worked as an oilfield roughneck, dynamite blaster's assistant, carpenter, pipe-fitter, sign painter, and appliance repairman. Most recently he owned and operated Rijan, his own music store and recording studio. Rick has always been a "thinker" and a "doer" and spent his entire life coming up with different and creative ways to tackle projects. He became one of the first people in this part of the country to use a monitor on stage and in 1966, according to Ralph Emery, Rick and Dean Beard recorded and produced the first known country trumpet solo. Rick's most recently finished work includes CDs "Redemption" and "Etchings in Stone".
Rick is survived by his wife of 23 years Janice Sikes of Coleman; three sons James Sikes of Granbury, TX; Palmer Sikes of Las Vegas, NV; Ricky Sikes of Wichita Falls, TX; two daughters Deva Deaton of McKinney, TX; Crystal Klein of Littleton, CO; nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He is further survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and many friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter Marie Taylor and his grandson Rusty Pendleton.
Rick's funeral services will be held at Stevens Funeral Home in Coleman, Texas at 1:30 P.M. Sunday, May 3, 2009 followed by a wake at the family’s residence at 900 N. Neches in Coleman.
His family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations are sent to Hospice of the Big Country, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, Texas 79605 or private family contributions may be made to the First Coleman National Bank.
My personal web-site is www.ricksikes.com
PLEASE CHECK OUT JOSH ALAN FRIENDMAN'S NEWEST BOOK CALLED "TELL THE TRUTH UNTIL THEY BLEED" ABOUT THE NITTY GRITTY WORLD OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS. HE DEVOTED A CHAPTER TO RICK SIKES AND THE RHYTHM REBELS!
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Best wishes from Vienna
Wolfsheart
I deeply saddened to hear about his passing, i spoke with Rick for the first time back in 2004. He was a great person, and a damn good musician. I am sad to see another Sikes leave our family. Here's to you brother, until our next rendeveaux with destiny. Love you cousin, you will be missed. Jimmy D. Sikes Jr.
Love the new song "I Missed You Tomorrow!" Wonderful lyrics and great harmony, Sister. Hope you had a very Happy Valentine's Day in Kerrville. Talk to you soon.
I offically state for the record that I suck at being a good friend!!! I was tied up all day on your birthday having sex with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and just could not get to the phone!
L ! 
