Local Singer-Songwriter
crosses “Bridge to Havana”
09/25/04
Margie Anne Clark [Santa Clarita Valley This Week Staff Writer]

If music is the vernacular of the human soul, then Rick Cowling is modern day troubadour who is anything but lost in translation. In a history-making journey of song and peace, Cowling joined Bonnie Raitt, Gladys Knight, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Frampton, Jimmy Buffett, Joan Osborne, Montell Jordan  and many other icons of the music world in the making of “Bridge to Havana” -- a multiformat CD/DVD that bridges two cultures together through music and good will.

Santa Clarita audiences can see and hear Cowling perform the hit song "Everybody's Watching Us"  from “Bridge to Havana,” while taking in the singer-songwriter’s vast repertoire of classic rock and original songs at the Gimme Grill Sports Bar in Valencia. A regular performer at the local hub, Cowling will be performing in the outdoor patio area on Thursday Oct. 21 and Thursday Oct. 28 -- both nights from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

At one of his recent gigs in Valencia, Cowling reminisced about the making of the “Bridge to Havana” project which began back in 1999. The United States release of  Pyramid Records/Universal “Bridge to Havana” came as a pleasant surprise to Cowling who was part of a group that  made the pilgrimage to Cuba in 1999 to work on the project. When he CD/DVD was finally released this summer, Cowling couldn’t be happier.  “I went right out and bought a copy,” Cowling said. “I basically had no thoughts about the future release of the music. I was filled up with the excitement and honor of working with such extraordinary people,”  recalled Cowling who was originally brought in as a sound engineer for the making of “Bridge to Havana,” running one of three studios that were set up in Havana at the famed Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

With a rich history of attracting such legendary luminaries as Marlon Brando, Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, the Hotel Nacional proved to be the perfect setting for the historic recording which at the time, sought to ease political tensions between the United States and Cuba.  “I ended up playing instruments here and there, and singing on the tracks, and also helping to arrange the songs,” Cowling explained. “It was quite a group effort.”  Upon hearing the CD, Cowling came to realize the impact of his contributions to the album.  “As I listened, I discovered the producers had used  a lead vocal I had performed on one of the songs,” Cowling said of the song "Everybody’s Watching Us" which he sang  with Montel Jordan. Cowling’s talents  can also be heard on "Walking On Sunshine" -- a song he had engineered and played guitar on. “Bridge to Havana” also includes a concert performance featuring Joan Osborne singing, "Alone With You," along with Mick Fleetwood on drums and Jimmy Buffett on guitar in the song "One World."  “Because the environment was so kinetic and emotive, each session was magical in a way,” Cowling reminisced.  

The project was comprised of more than 40 U.S. and 40 European stars who got together with their Cuban colleagues in Havana where they spent several days in workshops writing music and songs which they then performed and recorded.  “Two artists from the U.S. were paired up with two Cuban artist to collaborate on songs. The idea was to have a few small studios in which to record a demo of each finished song,” Cowling continued. “In a week we recorded almost 50 songs. It was pretty amazing.”

Soul singer Gladys Knight of the U.S. was paired with Cuban composer/performer, Edesio Alejandro, while singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt preformed with guitarist Pablo Menendez,  the leader of Cuba’s Grupo Mezcla. Half of all proceeds from “Bridge to Havana” will benefit  Puentes Cubanos, a Miami-based nonprofit organization created in 1999 that helps people in Cuba through health, educational, social and cultural programs.  “It’s really exciting, and I’ve heard that it was number four on the charts and doing very well in record stores,” Cowling said.

Fans who caught up with Cowling at his recent performance at Gimme Grill were impressed by Cowling’s passion for music. “There’s something about Rick,” said Valencia resident Sylvia Lopez following Cowling’s rousing set of classic rock n’ roll and pop tunes. “He can sing anything. He’s the kind of artist who really taps into your emotions.”  

At the request of one of his fans, Jennifer Molidor of Valencia, Cowling serenaded the audience with the hit tune, “Something About Her.”  The song rose to fame a year ago when Cowling joined forces with reality television superstar of the moment, Ryan Sutter of “Trista and Ryan’s Wedding” fame. Cowling composed the music to Sutter’s poem. Reality television history was made when Country/Western singer Brad Paisley joined Cowling for on-air rendition of the song during the taping of the famous wedding reception held at The Lodge at Rancho Mirage near Palm Springs.

“Rick is awesome and I love his original music,” said Molidor. “He’s such a natural,” agreed Molidor’s husband Steve. “He can play and sing anything ranging from 70’s and 80’s and even earlier back to the 50’s and 60’s. He’s an amazing artist.”

Cowling has made playing at the Gimme Grill a monthly event in-between his busy schedule of songwriting and sound engineering work.  “I love playing in places where people feel like they are part of the show,” Cowling said.  “I have made a lot of friends here, and we always make a party out of it.”

His busy schedule has Cowling currently assisting the music director on the set the new Fox series "Quintuplets," a comedy about a couple with teen quintuplets living in a three-bedroom house, starring Andy Richter and Rebecca Creskoff which premiered in June.  In addition to his work in television, Cowling has so far released three of his own CD’s from Affinity Records including  “Out of Nowhere" in 1999; “Carabuggin” in 2002 and "Paraffin Stories" in 2004. All of Cowling’s CD’s include his original songs. He plans to release his new Christmas CD in November or December of this year.

“The new CD will include a few original songs mixed with traditional ones, done
with more of a rock vibe with a meddling elf who tries to muscle in on the singing,” said Cowling.

An independent artist, Cowling was recently featured in "Volkswagen Driver” magazine. As the owner of Volkswagen Beetles Cowling and his wife Sue made a trip down to Roswell New Mexico to attend a the New Beetle Car Show Event. “Through the Roswell Team and our New Beetle club we got  My CD into the hands of the editor of  "Volkswagen Driver" magazine,” Cowling explained, adding that he was trying to get his song, “Exhilarate” into the VW commercials at the time. “They loved the CD and did an article for their next issue,” he said.

Versatility seems to come with the territory for Cowling, whose credits include writing and producing music for numerous television shows such as “Melrose Place,” “Fame L.A.,” and the “Lifetime” series, and “Sisters” to name a few. He has teamed up with friend, Harold Payne to score animation features and Sony Playstation Video Games. He and Payne also co-wrote the theme song, “Share the Dream” for the Inner City Games, sponsored by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He once sang for Adam Sandler’s real-life wedding and has worked with such artists  Laura Branigan, Matthew Sweet, Lamont Dozier, Bobby Womack, Stuart Copeland, Melissa Manchester, and Jim Peterik to name a few.

 Cowling’s vocals and music can also be heard on radios across America in the revamped American Top 40. Cowling became apart of radio history back in January of this year, when radio icon Casey Kasem passed the torch to the show’s new host, Ryan Seacrest.  “Everything has just kind of exploded for me,” Cowling said. “I’ve had the good fortune of working with a lot of talented people.”

 Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Cowling’s career was inspired by his father, Rick Cowling Sr., a singer/guitar player. The elder Cowling continues to play rockin’ roll gigs in Palm Springs, where Cowling has performed since childhood. By the age of three, Cowling played drums on stage with his father. By age eight, he expanded his talent to vocals, guitar and piano. He started a band, and recorded his first song by dubbing his own vocals, percussion, guitar, bass and keys. As a youth, Rick was a member of several bands in Lincoln, including “The Finnsters,“ a three piece group consisting of Cowling and his good friends Terry and TK Olson, who had regional hit with their song “On the Way.” Cowling later moved to California in 1987 and quickly established himself in the music scene as an artist, writer, musician, and producer.

As a singer with a wide range of musical interests, Cowling says he has a love for all types of music.  “I am always hooked by haunting melodies,” Cowling said. “Simple or complex, as long as I can't seem to get enough of it . . . I like it.”

For more information about Rick Cowling and “Bridge to Havana,” visit the web site at RickCowling.com.