A bluesy Southern rock guitarist with soulful vocals to match, Georgia native Chris Hicks honed his skills playing lead guitar for Gregg Allman, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band, among others. Inspired by Otis Redding and James Brown, Hicks grew up in the Macon area and later joined the Experience. After playing the blues festival circuit for several years, the band opened up for Steppenwolf and Charlie Daniels during the 1980s, and Hicks was asked to join the Outlaws later that decade.