Jimmy Ryan
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Jimmy Ryan

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Imagine being nineteen and watching your song climb the charts. For Jimmy Ryan, that dream became reality with The Critters’ hit, “Younger Girl.” But that was just the overture to a career that’s still rocking stages six decades later. Ryan isn’t just a guitarist; he’s a composer, producer, arranger, and author – a true Renaissance man of rock. His journey began in earnest with The Critters, a band that quickly followed “Younger Girl” with three charting albums and two more top-40 hits: “Mr. Dieingly Sad” and “Don’t Let The Rain Fall Down on Me.” They found themselves touring with Dick Clark’s “Where The Action Is” show, sharing the stage with British Invasion icons like The Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits, The Kinks, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and American superstars, The Young Rascals. But fate, and the Vietnam War, intervened. The draft decimated The Critters, pulling away key members and seemingly ending Ryan’s rockstar trajectory. But Jimmy Ryan wasn’t about to fade away. Instead, he dove headfirst into the psychedelic world of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, playing bass on tour for their #1 smash, “Fire.” At just twenty-two, Ryan was already a seasoned pro, ready for his next act. That act came in the form of Ivory, a progressive organ/bass/drums trio with future drumming legend Andy Newmark. Ivory’s innovative sound, predating Emerson, Lake & Palmer, caught the ear of a rising star: Carly Simon. From Carly Simon to Scoring Success Carly Simon, on the verge of superstardom with “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” tapped Ryan to assemble her backing band. He brought Ivory along, and together they became Simon’s signature sound, featured on her Anticipation album (produced by Cat Stevens’ producer Paul Samwell Smith) and many hits to follow. Ryan’s guitar work became synonymous with Simon’s biggest tracks, most notably the iconic solo on “You’re So Vain” and the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy-winning “Let The River Run” from Working Girl (he even appeared in the music video!). He graced Carly Simon HBO specials like “Live From Martha’s Vineyard” and “My Romance,” solidifying his place in music history. But Ryan’s talent wasn’t confined to Simon’s orbit. A move to London led to collaborations with a staggering array of artists: Paul McCartney, The Doors, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, John Entwistle of The Who, Elton John & Kiki Dee, Rod Stewart, and even Andy Williams (playing on his #1 hit, “Solitaire”). He became a first-call session player at legendary studios like Trident and Air London, recording alongside the biggest names in the business and earning seven RIAA Certified Platinum Records. Returning to NYC, Ryan formed Wondergap, signing with A&M Records. Later, as a staff writer for Atlantic Records, his songs were covered by The Association, Irene Cara, Michael Johnson, and Mickey Thomas, lead singer of Jefferson Starship. Never one to be pigeonholed, Ryan also built a successful career scoring music for television and commercials. His company, Rampage Music New York, created themes for NBC News, CNBC, The Discovery Channel, and even exhibits at Liberty Hall and the Smithsonian.
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