Rick Sikes, 73, died at his home in Coleman, Texas on May 1, 2009. Rick, born James Richard Sikes on August 5, 1935 in Coleman, was a man of many hats. From a Farm Boy to a Roughneck to a Texas Musician to a Convict to a Loving Husband and Father, Rick lived his life and played his music to the fullest.

His first love of music came before he could speak as he listened to Jimmie Rodgers with his family. Rick played music at every opportunity and always dreamed of being a cowboy musician. After growing up on a farm he started working in oilfields at the age of 17 and played with local bands on the weekends. He formed a band shortly thereafter, called "Rick Sikes and the Rhythm Rebels". Rick had his own music show at K-PAR TV in Abilene, Texas in 1964 and the Rhythm Rebels played all over the states of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and California. Rick had the distinct pleasure and honor of playing with Dean Beard, Tommy Overstreet, Bob Wills, Red Foley, Willie Nelson, Bobby Bare, Sonny James, Stonewall Jackson, Loretta Lynn and Jimmy C. Newman, just to name a few.

In 1971, Rick was arrested and charged with bank robbery. He was tried, found guilty and sentenced to 25 years and 50 years to run consecutively and sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary. Being a true rebel, he struggled greatly with being in prison, however, he came to follow the words of Teddy Roosevelt: "Always do the best you can with what you have where you are". Keeping with that positive outlook, Rick formed a band in prison called Rick Sikes and the Survivors. He wrote a song called "From the Bottle to the Needle", and was given permission to put together a recording studio. To this day, it is the only known recording studio inside of a Federal prison. He was released from prison in August 1985 and was married to Janice K. Smith, his longtime love, one week after his release. He opened his own business in Coleman called Sikes Signs and put all of his energy, creative abilities and talents towards building a home, raising two young girls, and making up for lost time. He did not pick up his guitar or actively pursue any music interests after getting out of prison, for many years. In 1999, his close friend, Roxy Gordon, and others including good friend, Steam Train Maury "King of the Hobos" (who named Rick the Music Man), pushed him to start playing and singing again.

Over the span of Rick's life he worked as an oilfield roughneck, dynamite blaster's assistant, carpenter, pipe-fitter, sign painter, and appliance repairman. Most recently he owned and operated Rijan, his own music store and recording studio. Rick has always been a "thinker" and a "doer" and spent his entire life coming up with different and creative ways to tackle projects. He became one of the first people in this part of the country to use a monitor on stage and in 1966, according to Ralph Emery, Rick and Dean Beard recorded and produced the first known country trumpet solo. Rick's most recently finished work includes CDs Redemption and Etchings in Stone.

Rick is survived by his wife of 23 years Janice Sikes of Coleman; three sons James Sikes of Granbury, TX; Palmer Sikes of Las Vegas, NV; Ricky Sikes of Wichita Falls, TX; two daughters Deva Deaton of McKinney, TX; Crystal Klein of Littleton, CO; nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He is further survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and many friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter Marie Taylor and his grandson Rusty Pendleton.

Rick's funeral services will be held at Stevens Funeral Home in Coleman, Texas at 1:30 P.M. Sunday, May 3, 2009 followed by a wake at the family's residence at 900 N. Neches in Coleman.

His family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations are sent to Hospice of the Big Country, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, Texas 79605 or private family contributions may be made to the First Coleman National Bank.

Please sign his on-line guestbook at www.livingmemorials.com