Ricky Byrd (born Richard Scott Bird; October 20, 1956) is a rock and roll guitar player, singer, songwriter and producer.

[1] Byrd has performed, recorded or toured with The Who's Roger Daltrey, Ian Hunter, Southside Johnny, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Alice Cooper, Mavis Staples, Billy Squier, Darlene Love, Smokey Robinson, The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Jimmy Page, Steve Miller, Steven Van Zandt, John Waite, Ronnie Spector, Graham Nash, Don Felder, Bruce Springsteen, Dion, Elvis Costello, Paul Shaffer, Bonnie Bramlett, Bobby Whitlock, Sam Moore, Billie Joe Armstrong, Gary Clark Jr., Peter Wolf, Stevie Wonder, among others.

He has co-written or had his songs covered by numerous artists[2] including Roger Daltrey, Joan Jett, Genya Ravan, Chris Farlowe, B.J.Scott, Sanne Salomonsen, and more.

After jamming with her band, Byrd joined the Blackhearts and played guitar and sang background vocals on the album in progress, I Love Rock n' Roll.

Byrd was a Blackheart with Joan Jett from 1981 to 1991,[2] recording guitar, vocals and co-writing various songs for the followup platinum-selling Album in 1983, Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth in 1984, Good Music in 1986, the platinum-certified Up Your Alley in 1988, The Hit List and Notorious in 1991.

[11] During this time, Byrd struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, got clean and sober in 1987, and remained with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts for another four years playing and touring.

[13] In 1999, Byrd released his debut solo album, Tough Room...This World, a "blues-inflected acoustic-rock set" recorded live from a show in New York.

"I continued to be a part of these benefits for the next few years, and in 2012 I co-wrote my first recovery song called 'Broken is a Place' with my pal Richie Supa," Byrd told Parade magazine.

"[21][22] Clean Getaway was produced by Byrd and Bob Stander, and featured players including keyboardist Bobby Whitlock (Derek and The Dominos); drummer Steve Holley (Wings); bassist Stander; keyboardist Andy Burton (Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul); keyboardist Jeff Kazee (Southside Johnny); horn players John Isley and Chris Anderson of the Asbury Jukes (horns); vocalists Christine Ohlman (Saturday Night Live band), Marge Raymond, Mark Hudson, and Sara Devine.

That year, Byrd joined Michael Des Barres, Liberty DeVitto and Paul Ill at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland for a talk and performance of songs about addiction and recovery.

Fellow honorees included former Major League Baseball World Series catcher and manager Joe Girardi, and AFL–CIO President Mario Cilento.

"[28] At the Fourth Annual Gala of the Rockit Live Foundation in August 2019, Byrd was honored for his work with young artists, in music education, and recovery.

[29] Also in August, Byrd joined Kathy Valentine (the Go-Go’s), Liberty Devitto (Billy Joel) and Genya Ravan (Goldie and the Gingerbreads, SiriusXM DJ), at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland to discuss songwriting and perform songs about addiction and recovery.