The Eagles founding member, the late Glenn Frey, knew what he was saying when he dubbed Little River Band “the best singing band in the world.” Through the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, LRB enjoyed huge chart success with multiplatinum albums and chart topping hits like: “Cool Change,” “The Night Owls,” Happy Anniversary,” “Reminiscing,” “Lonesome Loser,” “Take It Easy On Me,” “Help Is on Its Way,” “We Two,” “Man On Your Mind,” “The Other Guy,” and It’s A Long Way There.”
Worldwide album, CD sales and digital downloads now top 36 million and LRB has set a record for having had Top 10 hits for 6 consecutive years - In fact, they were the very first band to achieve that remarkable status! According to BMI, “Reminiscing” has garnered rare status with over 6 million airplays on American radio, and “Lady” is close behind with over 5 million airplays.
Bassist/vocalist Wayne Nelson joined the band in 1980. He worked alongside founding members with some of the most distinctive harmonies and vocal abilities, creating the unique LRB sound. In 1981, Nelson was recognized by world renowned Beatles producer Sir George Martin whom, while producing ‘Time Exposure’, chose Nelson to record lead vocals on two of the band’s biggest hits, “The Night Owls” and “Take It Easy On Me.” Later that same year guitarist extraordinaire Stephen Housden joined LRB bringing a rock element into the band’s sound and helped contribute to their string of Top 10 hits. As band members departed, both Housden and Nelson worked together to bring LRB into the new millennium.
To date, lead singer/bassist Wayne Nelson has contributed his vocal and bass guitar talents on 22 Little River Band Albums/CD’s. LRB continues to perform to sold out audiences, and Stephen Housden continues to write and participate in all things Little River Band.
In 2004 LRB was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame at the 18th Annual ARIA Music Awards and in September 2015 the band was awarded Casino Entertainer of the Year at the G2E Gaming Expo in Las Vegas Nevada.
Turning the page brings us to the current lineup of Little River Band…
Keyboardist and vocalist Chris Marion is a Dove Award winning producer. Chris is the creator of all the orchestral arrangements and charts on The Big Box and BLACK TIE. It is amazing to watch him play, sing, and conduct from his riser!
Singing Drummer Ryan Ricks has locked down the rhythm section, and rounds out the vocals with his incredible range. Great singing drummers are rare…and LRB is lucky to have Ryan as part of that all-important vocal blend.
Nashville Guitarist Colin Whinnery plays lead guitar, and shares lead vocal duties with Wayne. He continues to deliver a unique voice and a fresh outlook to the lead section.
Nashville Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist Bruce Wallace plays rhythm guitar and adds a new layer to the vocal harmonies. The addition of Bruce to the line-up has added to the energy of the already highly energized LRB.
Early 2014 saw the release of Little River Band’s, ‘Cuts Like a Diamond,’ on Frontiers Records. “What If You’re Wrong,” went to #1 and stayed there for 3 weeks says Jim Shoe of CLASSX Radio. “Forever You, Forever Me,” and “You Dream, I’ll Drive,” both climbed into the station’s TOP 3.
In November of 2016, LRB released, ‘The Hits…Revisited,’ on Wurld Records. This CD consists of 9 re-recorded hits along with 2 new songs. May of 2017 brought the release of ‘The Big Box’ - a box set consisting of 6 discs’s featuring a DVD with live footage from their 40th Anniversary Tour.
In November of 2020, during the Pandemic, and in partnership with TIME LIFE, the orchestral accompanied ear candy ‘BLACK TIE,’ was released to rave reviews. In 2024, Little River Band released their new album ‘Window To The World.’ They are currently writing songs for the next album.
2025 rolled the band into their 50th Anniversary with a total 92 shows with their “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TOUR.” During that tour they also did 23 co-bill shows with Three Dog Night which thrilled audiences around the country because of the overwhelming number of sing along hits.
Easy On Me were hits in 5th and 6th y
Bringing their vocal and musical energy along with great arrangements to their timeless classic hits, each show creates new memories for the audience. The band enjoys watching their fans fall in love with the songs all over again as they are swept up by the show’s powerful performance and the volume of hits from LRB’s history.
With 90 -100 dates being scheduled for their 2025-2026 tour, Little River Band is hotter than ever selling out shows and making music coast to coast continuing their legacy of being “the best singing band in the world.”
Little River Band is:
Wayne Nelson: Lead Vocals/Bass
Chris Marion: Keyboards/Vocals
Ryan Ricks: Drums/Percussion/Vocals
Colin Whinnery: Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals
Bruce Wallace: Guitar/Vocals
