Bill Ruppert

Bill Ruppert (born June 10, 1954) is an American musician, known as one of the most prolific and widely heard studio guitarists, logging nearly 10,000 sessions in a career spanning over 30 years.[1]

Bill Ruppert
Bill Ruppert, American guitarist
Bill Ruppert, American guitarist
Background information
BornChicago, Illinois
Occupation(s)Session Musician
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1980s–present

As a first-call studio guitarist and session musician, Ruppert has worked with a roster of top artist and commercial clients since the 1980s. He recorded guitar with Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music, Phil Collins of Genesis, Chuck Mangione and Richie Havens. In conjunction with Electro-Harmonix, he has created a series of Effectology videos[2] using effects pedals to imitate different instruments, recreate classic songs, and mimic real-life sounds. Working with Electro-Harmonix, Ruppert was one of the principal designers of the B9/C9 organ machines as well as the Key9 electric piano machine, Mel9 Mellotron emulator, Synth9 synth machine, Bass9 bass machine and String9 String Ensemble.[3] Ruppert has also worked with the Kemper profiling amplifier company as a consultant and sound designer.

Life and career

Ruppert was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Frances and Clyde Ruppert. Clyde Ruppert was a saxophonist who played in the Glenn Miller division of the Air Force Band during WWII and later touring the world with Guy Lombardo Orchestra and other popular big bands. Ruppert's grandfather played drums with a young Benny Goodman during Goodman's early years in Chicago.

Growing up in a musical family, Ruppert focused his goals in that direction. After graduating from college, Bill taught guitar/music to grammar school and college students. By 1986, he was the first-call guitarist in the Chicago commercial studio scene.

Awards

Ruppert won a Clio Award in 1989 for his advertising music production role in the Durasoft Color Contacts commercial "Parachute" for Young & Rubicam, Chicago.

Effectology

In 2009, Ruppert began creating a video series called Effectology, in which he recreated extraordinary sounds with a regular electric guitar and Electro-Harmonix gear.[4][5][6] Topics ranging from inventing Halloween sounds[7] to re-creating Kraftwerk's 'Autobahn'[8] to generating Caribbean steel drum effects[9] are covered. Ruppert is currently working with the design team at Electro-Harmonix creating new effects for electric guitar.

Selected discography

Ruppert played on hundreds of commercially released recordings and soundtracks. These lists represent only a small fraction of his recorded performances.

Album credits on guitar
  • Made in California (The Beach Boys, 2013)
  • Black Robes and Lawyers (William Michael Dillon, 2011)
  • Johnny Boy Would Love This: A Tribute to John Martyn (Various Artists, 2011)
  • If Only... (Howard Hewett, 2007)
  • Squur Dance (B-Cow, 2007)
  • Hurricane Season (Shanna Zell, 2005)
  • Have a Little Faith (Mavis Staples, 2004)
  • Rough Grooves Surface (Tree Thirteen, 2004)
  • Change Is Good (Lonie Walker, 2002)
  • Couldn't Love You No More/No Little Boy (John Martyn, 2000)
  • Times Like These (Rick Danko, 2000)
  • Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 (The Beach Boys, 1996)
  • No Big Surprise: Anthology (Steve Goodman, 1994)
  • No Little Boy (John Martyn, 1993)
  • Boomchild (Dennis DeYoung, 1988)
  • Keys to the City (Ramsey Lewis, 1987)
  • Simple Things (Richie Havens, 1987)
  • Unfinished Business (Steve Goodman, 1987)
  • Bête Noire (Bryan Ferry, 1987)
  • Save Tonight for Me (Chuck Mangione, 1986)
  • Robin Angel (Robin Angel, 1986)
  • You Love Looks Good on Me (Gene Chandler, 1985)
  • Marbles (Software, 1981)

[10][11][12][13][14]

Television shows (partial list)
Miami Vice (Pilot) Kristin with Kristin Chenoweth
Late Line with Al Franken Dempsey Makepeace (USA)
180 North (ABC) WTTW promos (Chicago PBS)
CBS News WGN News

[15]

Television and radio commercials (partial list)

Ruppert played on thousands of television and radio commercials. These lists represent only a small fraction of his recorded performances. The full list of credits is on record with the Chicago Federation of Musicians.

Sears Montgomery Ward JC Penney
Carson Pirie Scott McDonald's Pizza Hut
Hardee's Ford Motors Chevrolet
Hyundai Mazda Pontiac
Chrysler Oldsmobile Coke
Pepsi Dell Computer 7-up
Nokia John Deere Hallmark
Cellular One Exxon Mobile Oscar Mayer
Chef Boyardee Nestle SC Johnson & Sons
Keebler Kellogg's Red Lobster
Fannie Mae Appleby's TGI Friday's
White Castle Popeyes Chicken State Farm
BP Amoco Alberto Culver Fox Sports
Toys R Us Allstate Anheuser Busch
Coors Micheloeb Budweiser
Leinenkugel Long John Silver Bob Evans
Sony Bayer Procter & Gamble
Dove Soap Kraft Foods Blue Cross Blue Shield
Tombstone Pizza Verizon Wrigley
Gerber Foods Polaroid Kentucky Fried Chicken
Walt Disney Country Insurance Norelco
Aveeno Wisconsin Lotto Illinois Lottery
Mrs. Dash Ace Hardware Florida Dept. of Citrus
Carrier Nationwide Suave
Tropicana Midas Muffler Car-X
Big Lots United Airlines Southwest Airlines
Scrubbing Bubbles Juicy Fruit 7-Eleven
Jimmy Dean Foods Subway Corona Beer
Jim Beam Dodge DiGiorno
Thera Flu Dairy Board Boeing
Bird's Eye OfficeMax US Post Office
Celebrex Kimberly-Clark Phillp Morris
Bisquick Sara Lee Six Flags
Barilla Pasta Nabisco US Army
Minute Maid TWA Shout
Morgan Stanley Carnival Cruise ATA
Gatorade Mead Skittles
Dollar Rent-a-Car Rent-a-Center Sam's Club
Aleve Orange Crush Glade Plug-Ins
Hamburger Helper Clark Gasoline Yellow Freight
Bob Evans Barbie GI Joe
Hershey Foods Sargento Foods Subaru
Fantastik Busch Gardens Paramount Pictures
Betty Crocker Harrah's Casino Wheaties
Buick Boca American Airlines
Pert Plus Land's End Cheeze-Its
Kawasaki Jiffy Lube Oscar Mayer
Off ABC Television CBS Television
PBS Zip-Loc Emerson Electronics
Craftsman Cap'n Crunch American Medical Assn.
Rotor-Rooter ESPN Pillsbury
Mr. Clean Old El Paso Luvs
Ace Hardware Cool Whip Payless
Motor Sports Honda Rent A Center
Nexium McDonald's White Castle
Ford GE LaQuinta
Humana SC Johnson CiCi's Pizza
Downey Budweiser Samsung
Old Style Beer Auto Zone Oldsmobile
Citgo Domino's Pizza Bow Flex
Case-IH Chicago Bulls Ore-Ida
Electro-Harmonix Kemper Amplifiers Mars Candy
Ministar Guitars Dial Kohler
Levi's Durasoft Lowenbrau
Milton Bradley Busch Beer Chili's
Jewel Foods Toyota Illinois Tourism
Kellogg's Firestone Tampax
Tombstone Pizza Keebler Celestial Seasonings
Chicago Fire (soccer) Weber Cadillac
Huffy Cheetos John Madden Football
Leo Burnett Frosted Flakes Gatorade
Secret Starkist Sunkist
Wrigley Georgia Power Glade
Hardee's K-Mart Raid
La-Z-Boy Sara Lee Payless
Chicago Field Museum Arbonne Mattel
Friendly's Febreze Frito-Lay

[15]

Personal life

Ruppert married Joan Tortorici, television writer/producer, in 1977.

References
  1. "Bill Ruppert and Electro-Harmonix's Effectology". Premier Guitar. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  2. "EHX Effectology with Bill Ruppert". YouTube. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  3. "ELECTRO-HARMONIX: Product development & marketing aimed at inspiring guitarists drives top pedal maker's business". Music Trades. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  4. "Pink Floyd On Electric Shaver & Effects Pedals". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  5. "EHX's Effectology With Bill Ruppert". Guitar-Muse.com. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  6. "Bill Ruppert and Electro-Harmonix's Effectology". Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  7. "Halloween sounds from guitar effects + photocell mod | Make:". Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers. 2009-10-28. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  8. "Effectology: Re-creating Classic Sounds with Guitar". Guitarkadia. 2009-08-11. Archived from the original on 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  9. synthhead (2011-02-14). "Using Your Guitar Like A Synthesizer – Bill Ruppert's Steel Drum Effect". Synthtopia. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  10. "Bill Ruppert | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  11. "Bill Ruppert Discography at CD Universe". www.cduniverse.com. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  12. "Roxy Music - Musicians & Credits - on VivaRoxyMusic.com". www.vivaroxymusic.com. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  13. "Bill Rupert". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  14. "Gene Chandler - Your Love Looks Good On Me". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  15. "William C. Ruppert | Chicago Federation of Musicians". Chicago Federation of Musicians.
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