since 1981, playing in many different bands, running sound, mixing and recording for even more.
He dropped out of college and left his job with the Teamsters Union to become an audio engineer. Eric Barger, another engineer at American Music Recording, saw how Richard had an ear for audio and took him to Robert Lang Studios where he was hired as a paid assistant. Robert Lang, Eric Barger and Rick Eaks, and engineer at Robert Lang's, all paid out of pocket to put together his salary.