ABOUT LITTLE RIVER BAND
Between 1976 and 1983, chart success in America included the following singles: It’s a Long Way There, Help Is on Its Way, Happy Anniversary, Reminiscing, Lady, Cool Change, Lonesome Loser, The Night Owls, Take It Easy On Me, Man On Your Mind, We Two, and The Other Guy.
Worldwide album and CD sales now top 30 million. LRB also set a Billboard record in 1982 for having Top 10 US hits for 6 consecutive years…the first band ever to achieve that mark. According to BMI, Reminiscing has garnered rare status with over 5 million airplays on America radio…and Lady is close behind with over 4 million airplays. LRB was rightfully inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame at the 18th Annual ARIA Music Awards of 2004. In 2015 the band received the award for Musical Entertainer of the Year from the G2E group…an international panel of judges that ranks casino entertainment.
Current band membership is anchored by bassist and lead singer Wayne Nelson…a 44-year LRB veteran. He is joined on stage by keyboardist and Dove Award winning producer Chris Marion, drummer Ryan Ricks, and guitarists Colin Whinnery and Bruce Wallace. These great musicians have writing, touring, and recording credits that include legendary artists like Jim Messina, Kenny Loggins, Glenn Frey, Christopher Cross, Warren Zevon, America, Lonestar, Loretta Lynn, Wynona Judd, Sir George Martin, David Gates, Garth Brooks, Oak Ridge Boys, Steven Curtis Chapman, Randy Houser, Joe Diffie, Kim Carnes, Shane McAnally, Dierks Bentley, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, and Gretchen Wilson. All five are accomplished singers and deliver the signature LRB lead vocals and harmonies at every show.
This lineup brings fresh energy and arrangements to the classic hits, making new memories for the audience out of each live performance. It’s always fun to watch as people are swept up by the show’s vitality and the volume of hits from LRB’s history. You’ll see plenty of people mouthing the words…”I love this song…I forgot it was one of Little River Band’s hits!” When you pair that with dynamic new songs being created by the band, audiences feel the power of an act with a rich history and a fantastic corps of songwriters making new music.
Eagles founding member, the late Glenn Frey, joined with LRB as a guest artist in 1988 for 2 Australian tours…culminating with a live TV performance at Expo ’88. He spoke from the heart at that last show when he dubbed Little River Band “the best singing band in the world” in front of 125,000 concert goers. The current lineup of LRB takes that accolade to heart each and every time they perform.
Wayne Nelson
Bass
After a Chicago band named Koala (!) split up, Wayne moved to LA in 1978 where he joined Jim Messina’s band. Messina and Little River Band toured together in ’79. LRB asked Nelson to join for their next tour of Australia, Europe, and America. 41 years later, Nelson has seen many musicians and singers come in and out of the LRB family. His view on all those lineup changes…”In all these years with LRB, I’ve sung, played, and rearranged our music with many different lineups, each with a different interpretation and style. This group of guys is unique in that we all cut our teeth on the same types of music when we were young. We have the utmost respect for the history of the band, and for what Little River Band songs mean to our fans…but we always look for a way to bring something new to the stage. We have fun exploring new ways to deliver the songs – recognizable and powerful, with new twists that will delight those fans who like to listen deep and analyze…
Chris Marion
Keys
After college, Chris moved to Nashville and began his playing career, garnering nominations for 4 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Assoc. In 1992, he joined with partner Danny Myrick to form Western Flyer and later worked with artists such as Garth Brooks and The Oak Ridge Boys. In early 2005, he entered the Little River Band family, and has recorded 5 CDs with the band since then.
And college did well by Chris. He has taken his music education on stage with spectacular orchestral arrangements for LRB’s music. 2019 will bring that music to the world with the release of a new LRB Orchestral CD…title to be determined!
Bruce Wallace
Guitar
Nashville Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist Bruce Wallace plays rhythm guitar and adds a new layer to the vocal harmonies. The addition of Bruce to the line-up has added to the energy of the already highly energized LRB.
Bruce is an Oklahoma native with an accomplished career as a musician and songwriter. He has performed with superstars such as Wynonna, Kid Rock, Shelby Lynne, Mindy Smith, and David Gates (of Bread).
He has also written with hit songwriters Liz Rose, Randy Bachman, Rachel Proctor, Dave Berg, and Victoria Banks to name a few. Most recently his music can be heard on releases by Trace Adkins (“Damn You Bubba”), Dierks Bentley (“Gonna Die Young”), Montgomery Gentry (“So Called Life”), and Katie Armiger.
Colin Whinnery
Lead Guitar
Colin Whinnery is an accomplished Nashville musician, songwriter, and engineer. He has toured as a guitar player with Wynonna Judd, Lonestar, Bryan White, and Savannah Jack, On bass, he’s worked with Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Billy Gilman, Bryan White, and Tim Rushlow from Little Texas.
Colin’s songwriting credits include cuts for Triple Scoop Music Licensing, and have been placed in multiple TV shows…The Young and The Restless, All About Us, Huff, One Life to Live, and All My Children. In stark contrast, he has engineered sessions for Willie Nelson and Jamie O’Hara, to name just a few.
He brings this wide range of experience to the stage with Little River
Band, adding a fresh energy to the rhythm section, and to the vocal stack.
And he’s already making his mark as a lead singer as well.
Ryan Ricks
Drums
After graduating from Belmont College in Nashville TN, Ryan played and sang with Lacy J Dalton for a few years. He went on to tour in his own band and ended up putting down the drumsticks and singing background vocals for Loretta Lynn. He married his wife Terri, adopted a beautiful little girl from China, changed careers into the computer software world and left music for about 15 years. Only after a call from an old friend, Rich Herring, did he get back to playing drums and singing with Little River Band. He’s loving it.
Keyboardist Chris Marion is a Dove Award winning producer. Chris is the creator of all the orchestral arrangements and charts on The Big Box. It is amazing to watch him play, sing, and conduct from his riser!
Nashville Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist Bruce Wallace plays rhythm guitar and adds a new layer to the vocal harmonies. The addition of Bruce to the line-up has added to the energy of the already highly energized LRB.
Drummer Ryan Ricks has locked down the rhythm section, and rounds out the vocals with his incredible range. Great singing drummers are rare…and LRB is lucky to have Ryan as part of that all-important vocal blend.
Nashville Guitarist Colin Whinnery plays rhythm and lead guitar, and shares lead vocal duties with Wayne. He brings a brand new voice and a fresh outlook to the rhythm section.
Early 2014 saw the release of Little River Band’s, ‘Cuts Like a Diamond,’ on Frontiers Records. “What If You’re Wrong,” went to #1 and stayed there for 3 weeks says Jim Shoe of CLASSX Radio. “Forever You, Forever Me,” and “You Dream, I’ll Drive,” both climbed into the station’s TOP 3.
In November of 2016, LRB released, ‘The Hits…Revisited,’ on Wurld Records – a CD consisting of 9 re-recorded hits along with 2 new songs, written by Wayne, Chris, and Rich. Kris Kristofferson attended one of their concerts in California. He came backstage after the concert and he told LRB that their harmonies are “better than the Beatles.”
May of 2017 brought the release of ‘The Big Box’ – a box set consisting of 6 disc’s and featuring a DVD with live footage from their 40th Anniversary Tour.
In 2020, lead singer and bass player Wayne Nelson celebrated a personal and professional milestone of being a member of Little River Band for 40 years. That makes Wayne Nelson the longest standing member in the history of LRB. In partnership with Time Life, the band released a “Live” orchestral accompanied CD of the hits called “Black Tie.” This masterpiece of audio golden nuggets continues to thrill and sooth today.
In 2021, the CD Fan Favorites was released to the fans after they voted on their favorite songs from albums released since the year 2000. This album is a fan exclusive and continues to receive rave reviews from the beloved “Night Owls.”
Bringing their vocal and musical energy along with great arrangements to their timeless classic hits, each show creates new memories for the audience. The band enjoys watching their fans fall in love with the songs all over again as they are swept up by the show’s powerful performance and the volume of hits from LRB’s history.
With over 100 dates scheduled or being scheduled for their 2021-22 tour, Little River Band is hotter than ever – selling out shows and making music from coast to coast – continuing their legacy of being “the best singing band in the world.”
