Local Music Scene ‘Devastated’ By Death of Scott Ricciuti
Thursday, April 05, 2012
James "Scott" Risciutti was killed in a crash Wednesday morning, according to State Police
Whether they jammed with him at the Lucky Dog, one of his favorite haunts where his band, Huck, was a regular, hung out with him or just watched him play – musicians all around the area regarded him as one the bright spots on the local scene.
The light is a little dimmer today, with news that Ricciuti was killed in an early-morning accident on Interstate 290 in Boylston. Ricciuti was widely known for his work with the bands Huck and Pistol Whipped and is regarded as among the best songwriters in the area. And if you considered him to be part of the local music scene, Charles O'Connor, the bartender at Ralph's Diner on Grove Street, will be quick to correct you.
"He was the music scene," O'Connor said of his friend, pointedly emphasing the second word. "He was its heart and soul. Scott has been so deep into the music scene, there's no way to replace him. I don't think Worcester is going to be the same."
'Nice kid'
One thing is almost certain: the lves of Ricciuti's friends have been forever changed.
“He was just a real nice kid,” Seth Loconto, front-man for the Southbridge-based band Gutta, said in a somber tone. “I knew him for, oh man, 25 years. I played in bands that opened up for him and I headlined for him. He was the nicest kid in the world.”
“Kid” is exactly how friends would describe Ricciuti, who although he was 48, was known as a fun-loving man who always wore a smile.
“He was a little off the wall, but in a really fun way,” said longtime musician Jim Perry, who plays with bands including Dr. Robert and whose relationship with Ricciuti dates back to the 70's.
“I knew Scott more in the early days, when he was in a band called Childhood and I was with The Heartbreakers,” Perry said. “I remember, around that time, (local music promoter) Doug Hartwell and I started up the Rock and Roll Runoff. It was a local battle of the bands. Scott was one of the judges. I got to know him really well.”
Perry and Ricciuti worked together about two years ago for a one-night gig playing mostly 70s music at the Lucky Dog.
“That was the first time I’d worked with him in 10-15 years,” Perry said. “I recall him as always being fun loving and being kooky. You know? He was just kooky in a really good way.”
News spread quickly
News of Ricciuiti’s death has traveled fast and Loconto simply didn’t believe it at first when a friend called him.
“He had to repeat it three times,” Loconto said. “It was devastating news. I went out Saturday to the Panda Garden (in Southbridge). I had a Huck CD in. I just listened to it over and over. ‘Calamine’ was my favorite song that he ever wrote. I just kept listening to it and crying.”
The local music world lost more than a guitar player,according to Loconto, who said, "“We lost, never mind that he was a great musician and songwriter, but a very dear friend. I wouldn’t see him for three months. I’d see him once night and it was like we never missed a beat.”
GoLocalWorcester has called several area bars and reached out to local musicians for their reaction. Be sure to visit GoLocalWorcester.com for more on this story.
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