Bor… Read Full Bio ↴Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania on February 3, 1970, Richie Kotzen was soon taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by New York City band KISS to learn the electric guitar. Relentlessly developing chops and his own unique voice on the guitar, Kotzen was eventually discovered by Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney, and he recorded his first album by the age of 18. During that same year, he also graced the cover of several publications including Guitar World Magazine. He created the video Rock Chops for REH video in 1989, highlighting many of his formative techniques, including using wide-intervals and fluid sweeping.
In 1993, Kotzen made his big break when he joined the rock band Poison at age 20, co-writing and performing on the album Native Tongue. This album produced two top twenty singles which Richie wrote, Stand and Until You Suffer Some. Kotzen was subsequently fired from the band when it was discovered that he had been romantically involved with Deanna Eve, the ex-fiance of Poison drummer Rikki Rockett. Kotzen and Eve later married and divorced. In 1999 Kotzen replaced Paul Gilbert as guitarist in the mainstream rock band Mr. Big. Kotzen maintained the band's enormous success, performing on the Mr. Big record Get Over It, which sold more than 1,975,000 copies in its first two weeks in Japan, eventually reaching platinum status. Kotzen also contributed guitars to Mr. Big's subsequent release Actual Size. The record included the Kotzen song Shine, which debuted at number one on Japanese radio charts. Following the disbanding of Mr. Big, Kotzen released the solo album Change, in 2003. The title track, and the song Get A Life were featured in TV commercials throughout Japan.
In mid 2002 Kotzen established a recording Studio/Production company in Los Angeles, California. He has since been producing acclaimed solo albums and collaborating with various figures in rock, jazz, and fusion. He now has formed a band called Forty Deuce which recently released a new album entitled Nothing to Lose.
Richie has a unique style, which he has described as a mix of rock, jazz fusion, and soul music. Of his albums, he claims he is most proud of Vertu. Kotzen utilizes a heavy amount of legato playing into his solos.
Richie is now living in Los Angeles, California. Besides playing the guitar, his hobbies include exercise and sports, especially basketball. Richie has said that if he had'nt become a professional musician, he would have liked to play professional basketball.
In 2008, Kotzen released his first official live album, "Live In São Paulo", which featured Johnny Griparic on bass and Dan Potruch on Drums.
Discography
* (1989) Richie Kotzen
* (1990) Fever Dream
* (1991) Electric Joy
* (1991) Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (Soundtrack)
* (1993) Native Tongue (Poison)
* (1994) Mother Head's Family Reunion
* (1995) Inner Galactic Fusion Experience
* (1995) Tilt (with Greg Howe)
* (1996) Wave of Emotion
* (1996) Times Gonna Tell (EP)
* (1997) Kotzen/Howe Project (with Greg Howe)
* (1997) Something to Say
* (1998) What Is
* (1999) Break It All Down
* (1999) BiPolar Blues
* (1999) Vertu (project with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White)
* (1999) Get Over It (Mr. Big)
* (2000) Deep Cuts (Mr. Big)
* (2001) Actual Size (Mr. Big)
* (2001) Slow
* (2002) In Japan (Mr. Big)
* (2003) Change
* (2003) Acoustic Cuts
* (2004) Get Up
* (2004) The Best of Richie Kotzen
* (2005) Nothing to Lose (Forty-Deuce)
* (2006) ZxR Ai Senshi
* (2006) Into the Black
* (2007) ''Return Of The Mother Head's Family Reunion'' (Japan & Europe)
* (2007) ''Go Faster'' (US only)
* (2008) ''Live In São Paulo''
* (2009) ''Peace Sign''
* (2011) ''24 Hours''
* (2013) ''The Winery Dogs'' (The Winery Dogs)
* (2014) ''Unleashed In Japan: The Second Show'' (The Winery Dogs) Released only In Japan (DVD/2CD)
* (2014) ''The Essential''
* (2015) ''Cannibals''
* (2015) ''Hot Streak'' (The Winery Dogs)
* (2017) ''Salting Earth''
Videography
* (1989) Rock Chops
* (1994) Mother Head's family Reunion (Videoclip from the Mother Head's family Reunion Album)
* (1996) Wave of Emotion (Videoclip from the Wave of Emotion Album)
* (2001) Don't Wanna Lie (Videoclip from the Slow Album)
* (2001) Shine (Videoclip from Mr. Big's Actual Size Album)
* (2002) ''Hi-Tech Rock Guitar''
* (2005) ''Live In South America''
* (2008) ''Chase It'' (Videoclip from the R.O.T.M.F.R. Album)
* (2008) ''Bootlegged in Brazil''
* (2014) ''Unleashed In Japan: The Second Show'' (The Winery Dogs) Released only In Japan (DVD/2CD)'
* (2015) ''Live''
Help Me
Richie Kotzen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't remember everything
Maybe I was hypnotized by last night
Asking all my friends about it
They can't tell me nothing
All I wanna do is know why
Help me, lady
Help me remember
Lady, I'm just a poor boy
Help me, I'm crazy
Help me, I love you
(You know I don't)
I say, help me, I'm confused
Help me with the things I don't get so well
Help me with the things I can't do
Help me, can you help me?
Gonna try, gonna try this time
'Cause I don't wanna lose
Help me understand it
Understand it, understand it
Understand it, understand it
All right
Help me to forget about the past that I'm running from
Help me to remember
Remember how I feel about you
Help me, Stacy
Help me, Alicia
Help me, Leticia
It's gotta be one of you
It's making me crazy
My eyesight is hazy
You're torturing me, baby
Now where're we at?
I say, help me, I want you
Help me, I need you
Help me, I'm bleeding you
I'm so confused
The lyrics of Richie Kotzen's song "Help Me" is a plea for assistance in several aspects of life. The songwriter confesses to his inability to remember the events of the night before, but a strong desire to understand why. He then goes on to list the things he is struggling with, including confusion, forgetfulness, and inability to understand things. He asks for assistance from several people, including Lady, Stacy, Alicia, and Leticia. The songwriter goes on to express his love for "Lady," which appears to be unrequited.
The chorus of the song is a refrain of "Help Me" repeatedly, conveying the vulnerability of the songwriter as he seeks guidance from others. The lyrics appear to capture the struggles of a person who is lost and struggling to find the way forward. The repeated plea for assistance from various people may indicate a struggle with loneliness and isolation as the songwriter tries to connect with others.
Overall, the song's theme is one of vulnerability and the human need for support and guidance from others. The lyrics are touching and relatable, making the song a hit among Kotzen's fans.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been thinking so much but
I've been pondering over things lately but
Can't remember everything
I can't seem to remember everything that happened
Maybe I was hypnotized by last night
It feels like last night was a dream, a blur of events
Asking all my friends about it
I've been questioning my friends about what happened
They can't tell me nothing
They don't have any answers for me
All I wanna do is know why
I just want to know the reason behind everything
Help me, lady
I need your assistance, lady
Help me remember
Please help me jog my memory
Help me I'm unfortunate
I find myself in an unlucky situation
Lady, I'm just a poor boy
I'm just a simple guy, nothing special
Help me, I'm crazy
I'm going insane, please aid me
Help me, I love you
I'm deeply in love with you, please help me
(You know I don't)
(But I know you don't feel the same way)
I say, help me, I'm confused
I'm feeling bewildered, please assist me
Help me with the things I don't get so well
Please enlighten me on things I don't understand
Help me with the things I can't do
Please aid me in things I'm not able to accomplish
Help me, can you help me?
Can you provide me with your help, can you assist me?
Gonna try, gonna try this time
I'm going to make an effort this time around
'Cause I don't wanna lose
Because I don't want to fail
Help me understand it
Please help me comprehend it
Understand it, understand it
I need to understand it, need to understand it
All right
Okay
Help me to forget about the past that I'm running from
Please help me forget about the things that haunt me
Help me to remember
Please help me recollect
Remember how I feel about you
Remember how much I love you
Help me, Stacy
Stacy, please come to my aid
Help me, Alicia
Alicia, please come to my aid
Help me, Leticia
Leticia, please come to my aid
It's gotta be one of you
One of you must help me
It's making me crazy
This lack of clarity is driving me insane
My eyesight is hazy
I can't see clearly
You're torturing me, baby
This confusion is painful for me
Now where're we at?
Can you bring me up to speed, tell me where we stand?
I say, help me, I want you
I need your help, I need you
Help me, I need you
Please help me, I need you
Help me, I'm bleeding you
I'm taking too much of your energy, your help
I'm so confused
I'm feeling completely confused and lost
Writer(s): KOTZEN RICHARD DALE
Contributed by Ethan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ThundermanSze
Richie Kotzen has the ability to do what most guitar players wish they could do: sing. He also has the ability to do what most singers wish they could do: play.
@myklaaron7879
And write actual songs
@dregs28
He’s really a musical genius. A Shrapnel Guitar slinger with a great Rock Vocal 🎶👍 totally underrated
@alfiannugroho1409
He's the song
@2112Tix
Jazz rock riffs, heavy metal power chords combined with a 1970’s chorus line. I love his style and music, so underrated.
@dianablount6291
either solo or with the Winery Dogs Kotzen is the real deal.
@frankbetter
The bass player is so good! There's soo much groove in his playing
@ericamccool345
Heck yeah! :)
@XMathis
I completely agree, I t seems that RK always has really good bass players supporting him. I think he really understands the importance of having an awesome low end. I have viewed very few of his live videos where the bass player is not just over the top as well.
@coltsin1466
Hell yeah he is!