ROCKY RUCKMAN

Originally hailing from the tough steel town of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where his first efforts as a vocalist and guitarist were well received, it was after arriving in Florida that Rocky Ruckman really became a heavy hitter on the Tampa Bay music scene. Consistently fronting a cutting-edge contemporary sound-driven by his spirited, powerful voice and aggressive, punchy guitar work, he soon earned the respect of fans, players and critics alike.

Attacking the stage with a vengeance, Ruckman dynamically fronted several of the most talked about and successful club and concert rock bands in the area. Ruckman was associated with bands such as Monarch (1980-1982), Full Steam Eddy (1982-1983), Blanco (1983-1987), Misspent Youth (1987-1988) and Rocky Ruckman and the Beat Heathens (1988-1997). It was with that final crew that Ruckman released a powerful CD of originals songs entitled “Crazy World Out There.”

After a hiatus from decades of performing five or more dates weekly, he assembled Strange Puppet Release in 2009 and occasionally lent his latent but passionate blues/jazz skills to Blind Willie & Blue Situation in charity events through 2013.