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Although West Frankfort native Richie Biggs was not in the Staples Center crowd for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night, he was southern Illinois' link to Hollywood.
After all, Biggs did take home two of the music industry's gold standard awards that were handed out that night.
The 49-year-old musical engineer was recognized for the technical work he did on The Civil Wars' Grammy -winning album, Barton Hollow. However, when the glitz, glamour and star power took center stage, Biggs was in a familiar place—tucked safely out of the limelight, just as he prefers.
"I'm more of a behind-the-scenes type of guy and I prefer to keep things that way," Biggs said.
Biggs' love for music was cultivated by his family, especially his uncle Ed Fravell of Orient, who taught him how to play acoustic guitar.
After graduating from FCHS in 1980 and spending a few semesters at John A. Logan College, Biggs jumped at the opportunity to get his foot in the door in Nashville by driving the tour bus for contemporary Christian music pioneers, The Imperials.
While in Nashville, Biggs became a jack-of-all-trades in the music scene, working as a backup singer and house mixer and editor. However, Biggs finally found his niche as a engineer and is now a well-respected name among the thousands of performers that call Music City home.
His work for producer Charlie Peacock on the Barton Hollow album delivered the trademark Americana sound that helped net The Civil Wars a pair of statues for Best Folk Album and Best Country Duo at the Grammy's as well as more than 1 million in record sales. Quite the feat for a southern Illinois boy who packed his bags for Nashville more than 25 years ago.
"I'm still numb about it," said Biggs of the honor. "I'm hoping to continue to be able to make great music with great people. Americana music is a natural fit for me."
Biggs said he feels that he has been blessed to enjoy such a glorious career doing something that he loves and offered a little advice for anyone hoping to follow a similar path.
"Make sure that music is your passion and that you can withstand the dry spells," Biggs said. "Also, be sure to always surround yourself with talented people."
Although West Frankfort native Richie Biggs was not in the Staples Center crowd for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night, he was southern Illinois' link to Hollywood.
After all, Biggs did take home two of the music industry's gold standard awards that were handed out that night.
The 49-year-old musical engineer was recognized for the technical work he did on The Civil Wars' Grammy -winning album, Barton Hollow. However, when the glitz, glamour and star power took center stage, Biggs was in a familiar place—tucked safely out of the limelight, just as he prefers.
"I'm more of a behind-the-scenes type of guy and I prefer to keep things that way," Biggs said.
Biggs' love for music was cultivated by his family, especially his uncle Ed Fravell of Orient, who taught him how to play acoustic guitar.
After graduating from FCHS in 1980 and spending a few semesters at John A. Logan College, Biggs jumped at the opportunity to get his foot in the door in Nashville by driving the tour bus for contemporary Christian music pioneers, The Imperials.
While in Nashville, Biggs became a jack-of-all-trades in the music scene, working as a backup singer and house mixer and editor. However, Biggs finally found his niche as a engineer and is now a well-respected name among the thousands of performers that call Music City home.
His work for producer Charlie Peacock on the Barton Hollow album delivered the trademark Americana sound that helped net The Civil Wars a pair of statues for Best Folk Album and Best Country Duo at the Grammy's as well as more than 1 million in record sales. Quite the feat for a southern Illinois boy who packed his bags for Nashville more than 25 years ago.
"I'm still numb about it," said Biggs of the honor. "I'm hoping to continue to be able to make great music with great people. Americana music is a natural fit for me."
Biggs said he feels that he has been blessed to enjoy such a glorious career doing something that he loves and offered a little advice for anyone hoping to follow a similar path.
"Make sure that music is your passion and that you can withstand the dry spells," Biggs said. "Also, be sure to always surround yourself with talented people."
