Profile Text
Birth Name: Ricki Faatar
Place of Birth: Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Date of Birth: 5 September, 1952
Ethnicity: Cape Malay/Cape Coloured [Malagasy, Xhosa, Mauritian, Malaysian, Indian, Indonesian, Zulu, English, Khoisan, Tswana, San, Chinese, Guinean, Angolan, Dutch, French Huguenot, German, Khoikhoi]
Ricky Fataar is a South African musician, multi-instrumentalist, drummer, guitarist, singer, actor, and record producer. His career spans rock, pop, blues, and film/TV scoring. He first came to prominence as a child prodigy drummer, and later reached international audiences through his work with major bands and artists.
Ricky gained early recognition as one of South Africa’s most talented teenage drummers with The Flames, helping modernize the country’s rock sound during the 1960s. Internationally, he became known for his rare position as a non-American member of the Beach Boys, contributing vocals, drumming, and songwriting during a creatively transitional period for the band in the early 1970s. His work from this era helped bridge the group’s classic surf legacy with a more contemporary rock direction. He later appeared with Bonnie Raitt ‘s touring band. The Beach Boys also includes/has included Al Jardine , Mike Love , Brian Wilson , Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson.
Ricky has a daughter with his former wife, English model Penelope Tree.