Rico McFarland

Louis "Rico" McFarland. Born on March 5, 1960, is an American blues, R&B, and soul guitarist, vocalist, and musical director based in Chicago.

Son of guitarist James McFarland, Rico grew up on the city's West Side as a child prodigy. He began playing at age five, initially starting as a drummer before moving to bass and eventually settling on the guitar. During his teens, he honed his skills performing with soul bands like Cook County Express and The Natural Explosions under the mentorship of funk guitarist Johnny McGhee.

McFarland established a stellar reputation as a legendary sideman and go-to guitarist for several blues icons, including Albert King, Otis Clay, Little Milton, Syl Johnson, Artie White, Sugar Blue, and the Kinsey Report. He is most notably recognized for his many years as the guitarist for harmonica legend James Cotton and his decade-long tenure as the bandleader and guitarist for Lucky Peterson. Beyond the blues circuit, his versatile studio work earned him gold and platinum records for his contributions to the Boyz II Men single "Water Runs Dry".

In 2001, he launched his acclaimed solo career with the debut album Tired of Being Alone on Evidence Records, which featured a roster of guests including Billy Branch and Otis Clay.

The project earned McFarland a 2002 W.C. Handy nomination for Best New Artist of the Year. In recognition of his significant contributions to the genre, he was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in September 2018.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, McFarland returned to leading his own group and performing at premier venues like Kingston Mines and Buddy Guy’s Legends while writing new material for his first project in nearly two decades.