Rick Sparks Music

I'm excited to announce that my 2022 album, Speak Peace, has been nominated for Best Neo-Classical Album by One World Music Radio! OWMR is Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered, including new-age, jazz and rock; neo-classical is one of 31 categories in this year's awards. As always, it's a great honor to be nominated for the annual award for musical excellence by the good folks at OWMR.

Neo-classical is defined as mostly instrumental music influenced by and sometimes based on baroque or classical…

BREAKING NEWS: Our Valentines single, What'll I Do, is #9 on OWMR's Top-100 singles chart for February! Big thanks to OWMR for supporting our music with airplay on both live spins & podcasts from Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered. What'll I Do is the advance single release from Nightsong: Love Songs & Lullabies, our new album coming in May! LISTEN TO WHAT'LL I DO

BREAKING NEWS: I'm working hard to complete my 9th album, Nightsong: Love Songs & Lullabies, coming May 1! With some of the loveliest songs I've ever recorded, Nightsong will feature several of my originals, along with songs by Paul McCartney, Phil Collins & a 100-year-old love song by Irving Berlin. Stay tuned!

Blown away this morning to receive Steve Sheppard's wonderful review of my new single, What'll I Do! Thanks so much, Steve!

"This is one of those moments that you never want to end. I remembered this old Irving Berlin classic from 1923, What'll I Do, and specifically a version sung so beautifully by Julie London in 1956, so my wife and I took a few moments out to sing a few bars. It was indeed a most treasured and twinkling life segment." 

"This version by Rick is special. He has taken an absolute classic…

In celebration of romantic love this Valentine's Day and every day, we're excited to announce the release of the lullaby single, What'll I Do, available now from all major digital outlets. CLICK TO LISTEN

Written a hundred years ago by legendary American composer Irving Berlin, What'll I Do laments the loss of true love. It's been a favorite of mine since I first heard it in Robert Redford's 1974 movie, The Great Gatsby. 

Arranged as a lullaby, What'll I Do is my first single and advance release from the…

We're excited to announce that our 2022 album, Speak Peace, has been nominated for Best Piano Album (w. instrumentation) by the New Age Notes Radio Music Awards! The nominees will be judged by a panel of distinguished music industry professionals, including Grammy Award winners.

I've never had a more worthy theme for an album than Speak Peace. It's a great honor to be nominated.

We just learned that our 2022 album, Speak Peace, is a Top-10 ZMR album for 3 months in a row! Following its #3 debut in June, Speak Peace continued charting with strong airplay through September. 

Kudos to Ed & Stacey Bonk at LAZZ Promotions for working hard to get our music out to radio & digital channels. Ed & Stacey are the best at what they do for indie artists - thanks, LAZZ! 

Above & beyond chart numbers, I believe that the message of Speak Peace resonated in 2022 with programmers & listeners…

BREAKING NEWS: I'm thrilled & honored to report that Speak Peace debuted at #3 on ZMR'S June '22 Top-100 album chart! That's the highest position ever for any of my albums on Zone Music Reporter since Endless back in 2014, and certainly the highest debuting album I've ever had.

I have never regretted the decision 8 years ago to begin recording music of beauty and peace to help replenish our spirits & unwind the stress in our lives. I'm so grateful to programmers in radio & music channels worldwide for…

In tribute to and loving memory of Queen Elizabeth II, we offer Nightfall London, the title song from my 2017 album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzXMZs9pK3I

Greenville, SC (9/1/2022) - I'm so happy to announce the release of my very first solo piano album, a special project titled Quiet Piano Hymns. These are some of my favorite classic hymns & gospel songs that I first learned as a boy and have treasured now for over 50 years as a church pianist.

I love contemporary worship music, but it's the great old hymns and gospel songs that I treasure the most. Their melodies and lyrics bear indelible memories for me of God's saints in worship, singing of Christ's love…