A staunch musical traditionalist with a modern edge, Jamie Richards has won a strong regional following in the Southwest for his songs rich in pedal steel, broken hearts, and plainspoken storytelling.
Richards was born in Oklahoma, where his folks ran a dairy farm. Growing up on the farm, Jamie inherited his father's work ethic and his mother's love of music. He learned to sing with his mom, as she played classic gospel songs on the family's piano and he sang along. As he grew older, Richards became a serious country music fan. In time, he began writing songs and singing them with a band that played honky-tonks across Oklahoma. After years of working in clubs, then 26-year-old Richards, decided to take a shot at the big time, and he moved to Nashville, Tennessee. In Nashville, Richards worked in construction to make ends meet and soon signed developmental deals with RCA and Capitol Records. After both deals fizzled out, he soon realized that most Music City record labels were looking for artists with more pop sensibility and less of a hard country edge.
With unwavering perseverance, Richards' gifts as a songwriter didn’t go unnoticed, and he was signed as a staff songwriter with Curb Records. Jamie's songs enjoyed success as recorded by Cody Jinks, Hal Ketchum ("That's What You Get for Loving Me"), Ken Mellons ("Believe"), and Kevin Fowler ("Loose, Loud and Crazy"). After five years in Nashville, Richards was eager to make his mark as an artist. In 2001 he began traveling from Nashville for Houston, where Wes Daily was reviving the D Records label, which first recorded George Jones. Richards and Daily saw eye to eye about country music, and in 2002 D released Richards' first full-length album, No Regrets. The album fared well in Texas and Oklahoma, and two songs from No Regrets became Top Ten singles on the Texas Regional Radio chart. In 2005, Richards made the permanent move to Texas and never looked back.
Becoming a popular attraction on the Texas music scene, both as a live act and a recording artist, fans will often drive hundreds of miles to attend a show. Richards has since released eight full-length albums with 25 radio singles, 13 of which went to #1 on the Texas Regional Radio chart. “Second-Hand Smoke,” co-written with Mark Powell, was named song of the year in 2016. His song, “One Tequila” was featured in the 2018 film, “Zoe.”
Richards is currently writing a brand new album to be released in 2025. You can expect to continue to hear real-deal Texas country music, with a few surprises up his sleeve. His true grit and vulnerable delivery make him effortlessly relatable to the everyday working man and woman.