Rickie Monie was born in New Orleans on February 4, 1952, and raised in the Ninth Ward, where the sounds of Allen Toussaint and Fats Domino seeped in from every radio. His father Harrison, a church pianist, started teaching him at age eight; by thirteen Monie was the salaried organist at Paynes Memorial AME Church, playing every Sunday. He majored in woodwinds at Dillard University, played tenor sax in a marching band, and paid dues across the city's jazz scene.
In 1982 he got the call to substitute for the legendary Sweet Emma Barrett at Preservation Hall — and he has been there ever since. He has toured the world with the Hall's bands, playing with Percy and Willie Humphrey, Duke Dejan, Milton Batiste, Dave Bartholomew, and Clarence "Frogman" Henry. His concerts have drawn praise from five American presidents, Queen Elizabeth, and multiple kings, and he has given several command performances for the King of Thailand.
In 2006 President George W. Bush presented Monie and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with the National Medal of Arts — the first and only time a New Orleans musical group has been so honored. Named a Steinway Artist, Monie is a regular at WWOZ's Piano Night, still plays church organ around New Orleans, and is also an accomplished clarinetist.
