American Metal Guitarist Rick Renstrom | Inspirational Nusician | Musicians with Disabilities

Rick Renstrom

Location: Tampa, FL

Challenge: Congenital Birth Defect

Contrary to popular belief, Rick Renstrom was not born with phocomelia. He was diagnosed with a congenital birth defect of his upper extremities.

Rick Renstrom is the guitar world's newest hope for a guitar hero. Taking from the old and adding the new, all language of guitar is spoken. Rick's musical influences are Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore, Uli Jon Roth, Al DiMeola, Andy LaRocque, Ronni Le Tekro, Bach and Mozart.

Rick delivers with control, fury, and passionate fire. At the age of fifteen, after seeing Yngwie on a TV special, Rick decided to start playing guitar.

By the time he was sixteen, he was attending the University of Akron majoring in music, playing with his band Shattered Innocence 3-4 nights a week, and still in high school.

Rick studied classical guitar, jazz guitar, theory, composition and overall musicianship.

Rick also played in other bands during this period: China Blue, Bastille, Metal Wolf and Wicked Ways.

Rick's current endeavor's include guitar duties for Rob Rock’s Rage Of Creation band and a full length solo album.

Rick has won the "Best Lead Guitarist" at the 1996 CFMA Awards, 1998 won the M.A.R.S. Guitar challenge and 2001 recieved "Best Metal Guitarist" at the Orlando Metal Awards.

With the advent of MP3 technology, Rick has converted his music to MP3's and has received a huge success on the worldwide MP3.com. Rick’s song "Opus Lix" went to #1 on 6/27/2000 and held on to the spot for over 3 weeks and has remained in the top 10 for over 3 months and "Symphony #40" reached as high as #2. Over 50, 000 downloads and still counting. Rick has now signed with Mascot Records for all of Europe.

Rick has also been featured on "The Guitar Odyssey: Tribute to Yngwie Malmsteen" (GNW Records and JVC/Victor), Massacre recording artist's Powergod "Bleed For The God's" metal tribute and Lion Music’s "Warmth in the Wilderness: A Tribute to Jason Becker".

Rick Renstrom "The Fire Within"