Canadian-born Rick Hughes is renowned for his powerful and rangy voice as the lead singer of the legendary and very underrated metal band SWORD, and of the hard-rock band SAINTS & SINNERS. A seasoned performer with hundreds of headlining shows in Canada, America, Europe and Japan over the years, and his superb stage performances while opening for heavyweights such as METALLICA, MOTORHEAD, ALICE COOPER and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. So when it was time for him to record ''Redemption'', his first international solo album, he spared no expenses and efforts to make this album a great one, hiring producer John Webster (AEROSMITH, MOTLEY CRUE, AC/DC,) and renting Hippo Sonic Recording Studio (formerly known as Little Mountain Studios) in Vancouver to record this opus.

The first salvo was released September 5, 2025, and it is quite an event in itself: his first single and video is a supercharged version of THE WHO'S classic ''The Real Me'' and reuniting after 43 years, Ozzy Osbourne's super band consisting of Brad Gillis on guitar, Rudy Sarzo on bass, and Tommy Aldridge on drums. This is the band that did the last leg of the ''Diary of a Madman Tour'' in 1982 after the tragic departure of the great Randy Rhoads, and that then recorded Ozzy's classic live album ''Speak of the Devil''. I asked Rick on our YouTube Podcast CREATIVITY TALKIN how was he able to bring these three legends together. "I thank my lucky stars" he said, "It started out with our producer John Webster you had the great idea to ask Brad Gillis to be on the record and then Brad was able to reunite the other two, and we were all set."

Other musicians contributing to "Redemption" (scheduled for release October 24, 2025) are Robby Krieger (THE DOORS), vocalists Lee Aaron and Amy Keys (Ringo Starr, Phil Collins, Sting, Stevie Wonder), Canadian rocker Jacob Derags (DERAGS) and Rick's sister Lulu Hughes. Covering a classic rock and roll song is never an easy task, but when you've got the powerful and raw pipes of Rick Hughes and the magic of the band backing you, the end product is destined to be intoxicating. REVIEWERS NOTE: This song and video were both recorded in 2024 before the passing of Ozzy Osbourne

Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore and this ain't THE WHO as the song bursts out immediately with a much harder edge than the original, and no, I'm not complaining, I'm totally digging it. These three guys (Gillis, Sarzo, Aldridge) all have their own distinct style but when they come together as one, it's pure magic and adding a vocalist that stays in his lane to flawlessly put the rubber to the road. "The Real Me" is a perfect journey through dynamic riffs, a driving rhythm section providing the strong foundation steering us into a muscular ride that delivers this 1973 song into a masterful fresh and vibrant modern sound. Throwing no caution to the wind by adding a masterful guitar solo by Gillis played like only he can with his trademark texture and crunchy pitch manipulations. The vocals of Rick Hughes are definitely the straw that stirs the cauldron fabricating an edgy and fiery final piece of the puzzle that puts the pedal to the medal. Fan or not of THE WHO, this song will have you cranking your speakers, drum beating on the table and singing out load.  

You can watch our interview with Rick Hughes on YouTube channel CREATIVITY TALKIN. We talk about the new album, his early bands, his influences, Ozzy Osbourne and much more. Copy/paste this link for interview https://youtu.be/rfLxPo2gd0w?si=IaJzoula5kSrrAXo