Richard Slaid Cleaves (born June 9, 1964) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has been performing extensively and recording albums in the Americana genre since the early 1990s.

[2] Cleaves's musical roots extend back prior to his days playing in a high school "garage band" with his childhood friend Rod Picott.

To help pass the time he learned how to play the songs on guitar and on November 18, 1985, he made his debut as a busker in Cork City, Ireland.

[3] Cleaves continued to gain notice[4] with his follow-up album, 2004's Wishbones, appearing on the ESPN2 show Cold Pizza, and his music is praised by Nicholson Baker in his 2009 novel, The Anthologist.

[6] Highway Prayer: A Tribute to Adam Carroll, released in late 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Cleaves' version of "South of Town."