Birth name Ricky Rydell Dillard Name Ricky Dillard Also known as Dr. Ricky Dillard Role Musician | Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter Parents Dorothy Dillard Years active 1991–present | |
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Born February 25, 1965 (age 59)
Chicago, Illinois ( 1965-02-25 ) Genres Contemporary Christian music, gospel, Christian R&B, urban contemporary gospel, black gospel contemporary R&B Instruments vocals, singer-songwriter Movies Leap of Faith, Ricky Dillard: Worked It Out, WOW Gospel 2009, Beverly Crawford: Live in Los Angeles Albums Unplugged, The 7th Episode: Live In Toronto, Worked It Out, Keep Living, No Limit, The Best Of, Amazing Record labels E1 Music, Light Records, Capitol Christian Music Group, Malaco Records Similar People Farley Keith, Marshall Jefferson, Frankie Knuckles, Jamie Principle, Todd Terry Profiles | ||
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Ricky Rydell Dillard (born February 25, 1965) is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1991, with the release of, Promise, by Muscle Shoals Records. His second album, A Holy Ghost Take-Over, was released in 1993 by Malaco Records. The next album, Hallelujah, was released by them in 1995. Crystal Spring Records released, 1996's Work It Out, 2000's No Limit, and Unplugged in 2004. With EMI Gospel, he released, 7th Episode, that came out in 2007. He released, Keep Living, with Light Records in 2011. His next release, Amazing, came out in 2014 with Entertainment One Music.
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All of his albums charted on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. His No Limit album charted on the Christian Albums chart, and the album Unplugged charted on the Independent Albums chart along with the releases Keep Living, and Amazing that also charted on The Billboard 200. He was nominated at the Grammy Awards twice, the first time in the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album category at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards for Promise, and the second time would come at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in the category Best Gospel Album for Amazing.
Early life
Dillard was born on February 25, 1965, in Chicago, Illinois, as Ricky Rydell Dillard. His mother and grandmother imparted to him a love of gospel music, and he was raised in the church singing in the choir at the age of five years, and eventually got the opportunity to direct the youth choir at St. Bethel Baptist Church. He graduated in 1984 from Bloom Township High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois.
Music career
His music career got started in 1991, with the release of Promise on July 5, 1991 by Muscle Shoals, and this charted on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart at No. 15, while getting recognition by being nominated at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album category. He release, A Holy Ghost Take-Over with Malaco Records, on May 20, 1993, which charted on the Gospel Albums chart at No. 3. The next album, Hallelujah with Malaco Records, released on May 2, 1995, and it charted at No. 10 on the Gospel Album chart. On October 15, 1996, he released Worked It Out with Crystal Springs Records, and again this would chart on the Top Gospel Albums at No. 8. His next album with them, No Limit, came out on July 18, 2000, and this charted on two Billboard chart the Gospel Albums at No. 10 and Christian Albums at No. 32. While his last release, Unplugged, on the label was released on March 16, 2004, which this charted on the Gospel Albums at No. 9, and this time around charted on the Independent Albums at No. 49. The next album, 7th Episode, came out on October 2, 2007 with EMI Gospel, and this charted at No. 7 on the Gospel Albums chart. Light Records released Keep Living on April 26, 2011, which this charted on the Gospel Albums at No. 3, Independent Albums at No. 9, and on The Billboard 200 at No. 58. He partnered with Entertainment One Music to release, Amazing, on June 10, 2014, and this album charted on The Billboard 200 at No. 28, No. 5 on the Independent Albums, while placing at the top of the Gospel Albums chart. This album would get him his second nomination at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, in the category Best Gospel Album. He is nominated at the 30th Stellar Awards in the following categories: Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, CD of the Year, Choir of the Year, Producer of the Year, Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year, Traditional CD of the Year, and Traditional Choir of the Year.