Ricky was born in 1953 the son of J.W. Hudgins Jr. and Mrs. Shirley Faye Sullivan Hudgins.  He was named Anthony Ricardo Hudgins, but was nicknamed Ricky as a small child and that name would be his label.  At a very early age Ricky showed an interest in music as he grew up in the small Alabama town of Aliceville.  He always loved his hometown and has warm memories of playing football and was offered scholarships to play college football. Ricky would spend time with his grandmother Hudgins who had a piano and he spent many hours learning to play piano by ear. His love of music began to grow greater as time moved on. His father purchased a guitar and he taught himself to play his future in music was set in stone. 

At 15, Ricky taught himself to play a new instrument, the bass guitar, when the Pentecostal church he was attending needed a bass player. The church gave him a musical environment that he had never had the opportunity to be evolved in before. He soon began to sing gospel songs and learned more about music than he ever had before. This is where he meet, Christy Hall who he later married and had one daughter named Tracy Lea Hudgins. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves lets back up a bit.

Ricky’s father was a disabled World War II veteran. His oldest brother, who was a Vietnam veteran was killed just 8 days before Ricky’s 16th birthday. The death of his father and brother were the most trying times that he can remember. Ricky’s mother and father were parents to 4 boys, Johnny, Marvin, Ricky and Leroy the youngest. His parents divorced when he was 5 years old. His father never remarried but his mother soon remarried Johnny Moore and they had  two more children Cheryl and Tammie Moore. Johnny Moore worked Ricky and his brothers very hard and before he died he asked Ricky to forgive him for raising him so hard. By the time Ricky was 17 he was living with his dad and grandmother, Mrs. Ester Marie Hudgins. They were always good to him and gave him much inspiration during his younger years.

Ricky soon began to cross the Miss/AL state line and became familiar with the honky tonks in Columbus, MS where he gained interest in new kinds of music from blues to rock and soul to country music. He began to sing in little bars and honing his skills as a performer and singer. He soon married and had his 1st child. Later moving to Vidalia, Louisiana he formed his own band, The Louisiana Express. He played everywhere he could appearing with names like Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. He entered and won the famous Louisiana Hayride were Michael O’Kelly, the lead guitarist of REO speedwagon, was in his band along with many other musicians who he had the pleasure of working with in his band. His schedule took a toll on his marriage and lead to a divorce. He moved to Pensacola, Florida where he worked as a carpenter and started to hang out at one of the largest nightclubs in the area where he became friends with the owner, Terry Thomas. The house band began to allow him to sing with them.  He had also started writing songs by this time and his new songs soon became the crowd favorites.  He entered into a 10 week singing contest which talent from all over the Southeast. They competed head to head until the final competition that Ricky won with his original song named “Baby I Do”.  That same night he learned the news that his mother was dying with cancer.

So he then packed up and came home where he stayed until she passed.  Now back in Columbus, Ms he became good friends with the owners of the 45 Club and with Freeway, the house band. Freeway is a very talented and multi-talented group and have become the area favorite who play a diversified array of music from rock & roll to soul to classic favorites. Ricky started bouncing for The Club and Freeway would often invite him up to sing and he soon became the crowd favorite.  Ricky was still writing songs as he continues to do today as he has earned much respect  from many talented people. The group Freeway was a very instrumental in lending their talent and friendship toward Ricky’s songwriting and performing education and he will be forever indebted to the for their assistance.

Ricky traveled to Nashville where he was able to record a few songs and became friends with influential people in the record business. He spent time with Daryl Singletary and Tommy Barnes who either wrote or co-wrote several #1 hits. He was invited to sing at the prestigious Blue Bird Café in Nashville and he is still in constant contact with Nashville today. Ricky’s music is popular due to the fact that it is a reflection of his life experiences, sometimes joyful and sometimes harsh. Through it all he has been very blessed by God who gave him his talent and his friends and family who have been loving and supportive during his highs and lows.

Ricky has been blessed with a companion, Lisa Brasfield and child, Tyler who loves and cares unselfishly and gives him support and attention unconditionally, Lisa and Tyler Brasfield. Ricky’s heart and thoughts are never far from them. Ricky hopes that if you buy one of his CD’s that you will enjoy it as much as he did creating it. All the songs were written and performed by Ricky and all rights belong to Wish-A-Hit production company with B.M.I. Of Nashville, TN. There are just so many people to thank and he does not want to exclude anyone. Ricky has many more songs from gospel to country that he has written and hopes to soon record and play his new songs for everyone. He has taken a little from some of his favorite entertainers, such as George Jones, Tavis Tritt, George Straight, Ronnie Millsaps, Joe Diffie, John Anderson, Tim McGraw, Hank Williams and his very talented son Bochephus or Hank Williams Jr..  Ricky hopes to represent his profession well and he sincerely thanks you for your interest.