HISTORY

Henry Rich and Eric Lybeck started playing music as The Crazy Diamonds while still in high school. Eric - an infant on electric guitar; and Henry - immune to keyboard squawks that otherwise deafened private school audiences, pooled their creative resources. Though they were only fifteen at the time, Henry and Eric constructed the masterpiece, “Hair Like Fire,” which developed a life and cult of its own to this day.

Though the Crazy Diamonds disbanded after high school, Henry Rich and Eric Lybeck have rejoined forces to create the Supergroup RICH & ROYAL. Borrowing the emotion and studio master of their first hit, “Hair Like Fire,” R&R developed and recorded an epic concept album.

Though Medieval in historical context, the story is anything but archaic; Mixing classic rock influences with traditional contrapuntal melodies, modern electronics, and intelligently crafted lyrics. “You shouldn’t get the feeling that you’re getting beaten over the head with a forced premise,” suggests Lybeck. “But you also don’t feel scatterbrained and alienated the way you do listening to a lot of modern music.”

The recording of “Hair Like Fire” proved a grand, but delayed success. Final mixing was finished more than a year after recording began. This was due to the fact the Henry Rich and Eric Lybeck own and work full overtime for a designer breathmint company Oral Fixaton Mints. Rich started Oral Fixation with the hopes of making everyday objects, like mints, exceptionally beautiful. Check out www.oralfix.com for more information.

But Rich & Royal has lied dormant for too long. Lybeck and Rich contacted their old friend, Owen Susman who was in Highland Park’s rival band “Fresh and Tasty” during the Diamonds’ years. Bringing back memories of “Fresh and Crazy,” the kinetic cross-bred project Owen, Henry, and Eric used to play in between gigs in the late 90’s, Rich & Royal realize that they now have the perfect bassist. Adding innovation, soul, and respect where the album chooses calm, frenetics, and architecture, Owen has re-laid the foundations of “Hair Like Fire” so you hear the songs for the first time every time.

Into the picture comes Andy Sapko who was in cahoots with Owen regarding a folk music project. An unparalleled drummer, particularly suited to the style of R&R, Andy brings an outstanding musicality, technique, and taste to the art of drumming. The energy derived from Andy alone is enough to drive any wimpy whining audiences into turbo Rich & Royal fanatics – “Greedies”