Rick Vito


Richard Francis Vito is an American guitarist and singer. He was part of Fleetwood Mac between 1987 and 1991. Vito took over as lead guitarist after Lindsey Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac. He is best known for his blues and slide guitar style, whose influences include Elmore James, Robert Nighthawk, B.B. King, Alvino Rey, Les Paul, George Harrison, and Keith Richards.
Vito has been a featured player on Bob Seger's albums since 1986. He played the slide guitar solo on the Bob Seger song "Like a Rock". He was a long-standing member of Bonnie Raitt's touring band in the 1990s. Rick also played with John Mayall, Jackson Browne, Little Richard, Roger McGuinn, Bobby Whitlock, Dobie Gray, John Fogerty, Delaney & Bonnie, Albert Collins, Dolly Parton, Maria Muldaur, and others. Vito tours often in Europe with his own band. He produced rockabilly singer Rosie Flores' CD, Speed of Sound. His CD/DVD production collaboration with Mick Fleetwood, Blue Again! was Grammy nominated in 2010. Vito is also the recipient of the W.C. Handy Blues Award. Mojo on My Side was released in Europe in 2014, and worldwide in 2015 on Delta Groove Records with two new tracks. His latest CD, Soulshaker, was released on 5th April, 2019.
He played with the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band at Byron Bay Bluesfest over Easter 2016.

Fleetwood Mac

In 1987, Lindsey Buckingham quit Fleetwood Mac before the band began their Tango In The Night Tour. Fleetwood Mac Drummer Mick Fleetwood asked Billy Burnette to join the group as the lead guitarist, but Burnette declined to join unless his friend Rick Vito also joined, and Vito was named lead guitarist. Fleetwood accepted and Rick Vito and Billy Burnette joined Fleetwood Mac in September 1987. Vito quit Fleetwood Mac in November 1991 to begin working on a solo career. Despite his departure from the group, Vito joined his former bandmates Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Billy Burnette, and John McVie to play the pre-game show of Super Bowl XXVII in January 1993. Vito would later join the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band in 2008 and record a live album Blue Again!, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album in 2010.

Filmography