Richard began teaching himself to play guitar at the age of thirteen. Even at a young age he loved the finger-picking style of Chet Atkins. At the age of sixteen, Richard began playing guitar for a gospel singing group. In the late sixties and early seventies, Richard was playing lead guitar for a southern gospel group traveling all over the country.

For the next 25 years he worked in a local church and confined his music to his church and some occasional studio session work. In the early '90s Richard started touring again, this time as a solo concert guitarist, sharing his testimony and ministry in churches, dinner theaters, sportsmen's banquets, RV resorts, seniors ministry functions and even public schools. He has won over 70 major awards as a result of his playing, including "Instrumentalist of the Decade" from the International Country Gospel Music Association and three time "Artist of the year" with the Country Gospel Music Association in Branson as well as the coveted "TELE" award for his part in a concert video, as well as two time Instrumentalist of the Year with the Artists Music Guild. In 2009 Richard was inducted into the "Country Gospel Music Assn. Hall of Fame" in Branson. To date, he has recorded eleven CDs and three instructional videos. He has also produced and played as session guitarist for over two dozen country and gospel artists.

Richard's concert schedule consists of over one hundred twenty-five concerts a year nationwide and in Europe. He plays each year as a guest for the Chet Atkins appreciation society in Nashville, and has performed with many artists such as Roy Clark, Charlie McCoy, Boots Randolph, Phil Driscoll, The Oak Ridge Boys, Barbara Fairchild, The Booth Brothers, Chubby Checker, Gloria Gainer, and many of the top southern gospel and contemporary Christian groups. His CDs are being played on radio stations all over the world and he is now touring worldwide.
http://www.rkisermusic.com/