 Having won the Academy of Country Music's 1996 Top New Vocal Group of the Year Award, Ricochet has become one of the most successful new country groups of the '90s. Ricochet's uniquely melodic, yet edgy neo-traditional sound propelled their 1996 self-titled debut album, Ricochet, to the top of country charts soon after its release. The Radio & Records Readers Poll awarded Ricochet with Group of the Year, while SoundScan had Ricochet registered as the No. 1 selling group in country music for 19 straight weeks. The band's 1997 follow-up album, Blink of an Eye, has been met with equal enthusiasm. At the 26th Annual Country Music Fan Fair in Nashville, Blink of an Eye established Ricochet as the biggest selling act for the second consecutive year. The readers of Country Weekly Magazine named Ricochet the Favorite New Group at the magazine's recent Golden Pick Awards. Ricochet originated in 1993, when the Bryant brothers, Jeff (drummer) and Junior (fiddle/mandolin) asked guitarist/singer Heath Wright to join their band Lariat. Although Lariat disbanded soon after Wright joined, the Bryants and Wright decided to maintain the trio and re-form their own band. By 1994, after months of auditions, Ricochet was complete. Greg Cook became Ricochet's bassist, Teddy Carr played steel guitar, and Eddie Kilgallon brought keyboards, saxophone and rhythm guitar to the group. The six members of Ricochet spent the next two years touring in the South and on the West Coast, during which time the band developed their style and built up a solid fan base. After hearing the group play live, Columbia executives offered Ricochet a development deal, which had the band working with producer Ed Seay (Martina McBride, Colin Raye). By 1995 the deal turned into a full record contract, and the band recorded their self-titled debut album. Ricochet toured as the supporting act for Merle Haggard, Doug Stone and Charlie Daniels before the release of Ricochet in 1996. By 1997 Ricochet had recorded their second album on Sony Records. Blink of the Eye was co-produced by Seay and Ron Chancey (Oak Ridge Boys, Sawyer Brown). Chancey was instrumental in helping Ricochet record their first demo.
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