NICK RUDD MUSIC

A light that shines from inside:

Nick Lee Rudd was born on October 19, 1960 in Decatur, Illinois.

Music was Nick’s refuge. He spent hours listening to records where he found a community of like-minded spirits. By age 13 he was already a seasoned concertgoer. At age 14, after intense dedication to the dissection of the musical compositions of others, he picked up the guitar and never put it down.

His contributions and influence on the Champaign-Urbana music community run deep. You either saw him perform in one of his many bands or solo acts or heard stories of his legendary talent. It’s impossible to discuss the historic arc of music in the CU community without finding one’s way back to Nick. >> READ MORE <<

Nick with his first guitar, Decatur, Illinois

Mod Lang

Nick’s first band. Mod Lang was short for “modern language.”

Mod Lang

Nick’s first band. Mod Lang was short for “modern language.”

Turning Curious, Nick and Steve Scariano

b-lovers

b-lovers flyer

Heartbreak Hotel, St. Louis

Turning Curious

Mabels, October 1983

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The Big Maybe

Photo by Della Perrone

Spine Trail era, 1986

Photo by Della Perrone

Spine Trail era, 1986

Photo by Della Perrone

Weird Summer era, late 1980's

Blown

Guy Burwell flyer design

Blown, 1993

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Blown

Guy Burwell postcard design front

Water Between Continents with Brian Reedy on drums

The Jans Project

The Jans Project

The Jans Project

Nick in the recording studio, The Janes Project

Nick Sandwhich Life Concert by Richard McClaughry Hill

Raw footage from filmmaker John Isberg’s interview with Nick for the music documentary, “Where It Begins: 1977-2000.”

"When I was a teenager, I just rode with it. I want to play music. I want to write songs. I want to play in a band. I want to create this thing. That’s what I want to do.”

Remembering Nick

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SUSAN VAN PEURSEM

I think Nick was beyond this world in his talent, his intellect, and his ability to see things that none of us of normal folks could. I remember talking about books, movies, music, but more importantly, what it meant to be human.

PHILlip HARRIS

Women liked him, he had a distinctive sense of style, he was smart, and he wasn’t vain. He was your friend. He was always your friend.

DAVE WISNIEWSKI

Nick would bring in new songs and we would rehearse them for three hours. We could play the SHIT out of them! He didn’t just write lyrics. He wrote poetry interwoven with music.

BOB KIMBeLL

Early ’85 Nick and I met at the White Horse. Just me and him. We had a beer and he said, ‘I wanna join,’ and I was like, ‘Welcome aboard, Buddy!’ I remember walking out of the bar feeling like I’d just been signed to SONY Records, thinking, ‘HOLY SHIT, Nick is gonna join my band?!’

TOBY WEISS

All of Nick’s advance billing, the huge build up of expectations, it was all correct, absolutely—as a guitarist and as a songwriter. One of the things that didn’t come up as much though, was his voice and what a great singer he was. Jesus, he was a great singer.

STEVE CAROSELLO

Nick’s music never fit neatly or comfortably into just one category. It had the natural ability to reflect the many facets of the artist, himself, always reaching toward something just out of view.

MATT ALLISON

Nick was into digging deeper. That was something I learned from him about music—to dig deeper into a piece of music and not be impressed by the frosting on the cake. Songs that are done well have multiple layers, and you can peel them like an onion.

PAUL BUDIN

Nick and Bob Kimball had a magical chemistry in Weird Summer. When he sang with Bob it was like two lead singers, and you had this amazing three guitar onslaught. It was just incredible.

PATRICK HAWLEY

There were so many layers to his songs. His ability to sing lyrics that don’t rhyme and the pure confidence he would present them with was incredible.

GEORGE PAASWELL

When One Track Mind came out, I was just over-the-moon thrilled with it. He wasn’t a superstar in the rock and roll market. Whatever. That record fits squarely among the best work put out by Donovan, Elliot Smith, and Game Theory-era Scott Miller.

STEVE LINDSTROM

I went to two schools: University of Illinois and the University of Mabel’s. And Nick was the main attraction.

ADAM SCHMITT

Nick's passions for music, poetry, literature, art and knowledge were intertwined within his personal goals of sharing community, kindness, love, beauty, enlightenment and empathy. Truth.

KEN DRAZNIK

His guitar playing, of course, was seemingly effortless, organic, natural, and mesmerizing, be it electric, acoustic, jazz, rock, folk, you name it. He could do it all. I loved to just watch him play.

FRED ANDERSON

I always struggled to find the words to tell Nick how much his music meant to me in a way he would accept. Instead I decided I would just try to help facilitate whatever the B-Lovers wanted to do in any way I could. I guess I ended up starting two record labels to release Nick's music so there would at least be some artifacts.

BRIAN REEDY

His acoustic music was really wonderful, the way it would resonate, and his dexterity, it was just really remarkable. I was really, really lucky to have been able to play with him so long. I’m surrounded by Nick, is the way I see it, the way I feel it. I think about his smile and I’m surrounded by him.

CYNTHIA VOElKL & ERNEST BLACKWELDER

I’d love for Nick’s stuff to be heard everywhere. There are so many great things in CU, but Nick was on another level. Something special, the one you really want to tell the world about.

DON GERARD

You know, lots of musicians would be a SPONGE for any passing compliment but he never needed that, he always wanted to just do the thing, and maybe, you know, maybe that’s why he never made that jump to the next level, cause he was never about that. I mean, he was as close as you get to being a true artist.

PAUL ROCK

For me there was a point where his guitar playing took a big leap. Here’s this guy that has a million great songs and all of a sudden he was playing guitar at a whole other level. I remember that evolution of his talents. He seemed fully formed as a songwriter, basically at the beginning.

BRAD ELVIS

I first met a young Nick with his group of music loving friends at Screams shows (1977-1978). They were all young, hip musicians who knew about all of the up and coming bands that were obscure at that time

MARIA SNARSKI

I marveled at Nick’s knowledge, his patience, his talent, and his unassuming nature. I loved when he laughed. It signaled a connection in thought or of perception.

TODD FLETCHER

He was extremely good at the hardest job in any band, being in the front, writing the songs and singing the songs. He was just extremely good at that and anything the rest of the band is doing is just so much easier in comparison—a huge load to shoulder and he made it look very natural.

JASON FINKELMAN

I found the energy I craved in hearing Water Between Continents. The concise power compositions Nick Rudd and Brian Reedy performed was the blast of creative expression I was seeking.

DONNA CROSSIN

His passion and joy for music was contagious and to see him play was magical. The world has lost a special person. Our community has lost a musical giant.

SASHA RUBEL

Oh, what to say about Nick? My first thought: Nick was adored. People vied to be close to him and hear what he had to say. He was influential, quietly insistent. When it came to art, literature and music, he was a tastemaker; an unabashed fan and astute critic.

LYNN CANFIELD

I was with Nick when Josh Gotthiel died, and Nick and Josh had been very very close, and Josh was feeling really really depressed, we talked about that a lot, and when Josh died we both had the feeling that he visited Nick. That happened (for me) again, when Nick died.

DEBBIE STEWART

Nick had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the room; he really paid attention when you conversed with him.

STEVE SCARIANO

Two constants of our rehearsals over the years, from when we were in our twenties on through playing together in our fifties, was the working up of great new Nick Rudd songs and lots and lots and lots of laughter. I’m missing those rehearsal moments of love and laughter so much.

MARK RUBEL

Nick Rudd and the B-Lovers were one of the very first groups that I got to record at Faithful Sound Studio in 1980 (forty years ago!). I was struck by his talent, his songs, and the cohesion and friendship between the band members.

JEFF EVANS

I was working at the record department at Team Electronics in Decatur, Illinois. It was around 1976 or 77. Nick used to come in and buy records. We started talking, liked a lot of the same stuff and became friendst hrough our passion for music.

NICK RUDD MUSIC FUND

Several gifts have been established in the Champaign-Urbana community to honor Nick, his love of music, and his impact on the community. Friends and fans of Nick can make a gift in Nick’s memory and support the vibrant legacy of music in CU.

Nick Rudd music at the Urbana free library

The Nick Rudd Music Fund at the Urbana Free Library supports the purchase of materials and programming to enhance UFL’s collections of music, poetry, visual arts, and musical instruments.

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Nick Rudd MUSIC at the university of illinois

The Nick Rudd Music Fund at the School of Music at the University of Illinois advances programming for the Robert E. Brown Center for World Music and affiliate programs including an annual Nick Rudd Music Experience representing Nick’s love of improvisation, the jazz avant-garde, progressive rock, and music traditions of the world.
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nick rudd music at Community center
4 the arts

The Nick Rudd Music Scholarship at the Community Center For the Arts (C4A) provides a 100% music scholarship covering a full year of lessons for a student with an interest in learning an instrument.

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NICK RUDD MUSIC

A light that shines from inside:

Raw footage from filmmaker John Isberg’s interview with Nick for the music documentary, “Where It Begins: 1977-2000.”

Remembering Nick

NICK RUDD MUSIC FUND

Nick Rudd music at the Urbana free library

Nick Rudd MUSIC at the university of illinois

nick rudd music at Community center 4 the arts

Contact Us

Please complete the form below

nick rudd music at Community center
4 the arts