# Bill Ruppert

Bill Ruppert (born June 10, 1954) is an American musician, known as one of the most prolific and widely heard studio guitarists, logging nearly 10,000 sessions in a career spanning over 30 years.
As a first-call studio guitarist and session musician, Ruppert has worked with a roster of top artist and commercial clients since the 1980s. He recorded guitar with Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music, Phil Collins of Genesis, Chuck Mangione and Richie Havens. In conjunction with Electro-Harmonix, he has created a series of Effectology videos using effects pedals to imitate different instruments, recreate classic songs, and mimic real-life sounds. Working with Electro-Harmonix, Ruppert was one of the principal designers of the B9/C9 organ machines as well as the Key9 electric piano machine, Mel9 Mellotron emulator, Synth9 synth machine, Bass9 bass machine and String9 String Ensemble. Ruppert has also worked with the Kemper profiling amplifier company as a consultant and sound designer.

## Life and career

Ruppert was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Frances and Clyde Ruppert. Clyde Ruppert was a saxophonist who played in the Glenn Miller division of the Air Force Band during WWII and later touring the world with Guy Lombardo Orchestra and other popular big bands. Ruppert's grandfather played drums with a young Benny Goodman during Goodman's early years in Chicago.
Growing up in a musical family, Ruppert focused his goals in that direction. After graduating from college, Bill taught guitar/music in grammar school and college. By 1986, he was the first-call guitarist in the Chicago commercial studio scene.

## Awards

Ruppert won a Clio Award in 1989 for his advertising music production role in the Durasoft Color Contacts commercial "Parachute" for Young & Rubicam, Chicago.

## Effectology

In 2009, Ruppert began creating a video series called Effectology, in which he recreated extraordinary sounds with a regular electric guitar and Electro-Harmonix gear. Topics ranging from inventing Halloween sounds to re-creating Kraftwerk's 'Autobahn' to generating Caribbean steel drum effects are covered. Ruppert is currently working with the design team at Electro-Harmonix creating new effects for electric guitar.

## Selected discography

Ruppert played on hundreds of commercially released recordings and soundtracks. These lists represent only a small fraction of his recorded performances.

### Album credits on guitar

* Made in California (The Beach Boys, 2013)
* Black Robes and Lawyers (William Michael Dillon, 2011)
* Johnny Boy Would Love This: A Tribute to John Martyn (Various Artists, 2011)
* If Only... (Howard Hewett, 2007)
* Squur Dance (B-Cow, 2007)
* Hurricane Season (Shanna Zell, 2005)
* Have a Little Faith (Mavis Staples, 2004)
* Rough Grooves Surface (Tree Thirteen, 2004)
* Change Is Good (Lonie Walker, 2002)
* Couldn't Love You No More/No Little Boy (John Martyn, 2000)
* Times Like These (Rick Danko, 2000)
* Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 (The Beach Boys, 1996)
* No Big Surprise: Anthology (Steve Goodman, 1994)
* No Little Boy (John Martyn, 1993)
* Boomchild (Dennis DeYoung, 1988)
* Keys to the City (Ramsey Lewis, 1987)
* Simple Things (Richie Havens, 1987)
* Unfinished Business (Steve Goodman, 1987)
* Bête Noire (Bryan Ferry, 1987)
* Save Tonight for Me (Chuck Mangione, 1986)
* Robin Angel (Robin Angel, 1986)
* You Love Looks Good on Me (Gene Chandler, 1985)
* Marbles (Software, 1981)

## Television shows (partial list)

| Miami Vice (Pilot) | Kristin with Kristin Chenoweth |
| Late Line with Al Franken | Dempsey Makepeace (USA) |
| 180 North (ABC) | WTTW promos (Chicago PBS) |
| CBS News | WGN News |

## Television and radio commercials (partial list)

Ruppert played on thousands of television and radio commercials. These lists represent only a small fraction of his recorded performances. The full list of credits is on record with the Chicago Federation of Musicians.
| Sears | Montgomery Ward | JC Penney |
| Carson Pirie Scott | McDonald's | Pizza Hut |
| Hardee's | Ford Motors | Chevrolet |
| Hyundai | Mazda | Pontiac |
| Chrysler | Oldsmobile | Coke |
| Pepsi | Dell Computer | 7-up |
| Nokia | John Deere | Hallmark |
| Cellular One | Exxon Mobile | Oscar Mayer |
| Chef Boyardee | Nestle | SC Johnson & Sons |
| Keebler | Kellogg's | Red Lobster |
| Fannie Mae | Appleby's | TGI Friday's |
| White Castle | Popeyes Chicken | State Farm |
| BP Amoco | Alberto Culver | Fox Sports |
| Toys R Us | Allstate | Anheuser Busch |
| Coors | Micheloeb | Budweiser |
| Leinenkugel | Long John Silver | Bob Evans |
| Sony | Bayer | Procter & Gamble |
| Dove Soap | Kraft Foods | Blue Cross Blue Shield |
| Tombstone Pizza | Verizon | Wrigley |
| Gerber Foods | Polaroid | Kentucky Fried Chicken |
| Walt Disney | Country Insurance | Norelco |
| Aveeno | Wisconsin Lotto | Illinois Lottery |
| Mrs. Dash | Ace Hardware | Florida Dept. of Citrus |
| Carrier | Nationwide | Suave |
| Tropicana | Midas Muffler | Car-X |
| Big Lots | United Airlines | Southwest Airlines |
| Scrubbing Bubbles | Juicy Fruit | 7-Eleven |
| Jimmy Dean Foods | Subway | Corona Beer |
| Jim Beam | Dodge | DiGiorno |
| Thera Flu | Dairy Board | Boeing |
| Bird's Eye | OfficeMax | US Post Office |
| Celebrex | Kimberly-Clark | Phillp Morris |
| Bisquick | Sara Lee | Six Flags |
| Barilla Pasta | Nabisco | US Army |
| Minute Maid | TWA | Shout |
| Morgan Stanley | Carnival Cruise | ATA |
| Gatorade | Mead | Skittles |
| Dollar Rent-a-Car | Rent-a-Center | Sam's Club |
| Aleve | Orange Crush | Glade Plug-Ins |
| Hamburger Helper | Clark Gasoline | Yellow Freight |
| Bob Evans | Barbie | GI Joe |
| Hershey Foods | Sargento Foods | Subaru |
| Fantastik | Busch Gardens | Paramount Pictures |
| Betty Crocker | Harrah's Casino | Wheaties |
| Buick | Boca | American Airlines |
| Pert Plus | Land's End | Cheeze-Its |
| Kawasaki | Jiffy Lube | Oscar Mayer |
| Off | ABC Television | CBS Television |
| PBS | Zip-Loc | Emerson Electronics |
| Craftsman | Cap'n Crunch | American Medical Assn. |
| Rotor-Rooter | ESPN | Pillsbury |
| Mr. Clean | Old El Paso | Luvs |
| Ace Hardware | Cool Whip | Payless |
| Motor Sports | Honda | Rent A Center |
| Nexium | McDonald's | White Castle |
| Ford | GE | LaQuinta |
| Humana | SC Johnson | CiCi's Pizza |
| Downey | Budweiser | Samsung |
| Old Style Beer | Auto Zone | Oldsmobile |
| Citgo | Domino's Pizza | Bow Flex |
| Case-IH | Chicago Bulls | Ore-Ida |
| Electro-Harmonix | Kemper Amplifiers | Mars Candy |
| Ministar Guitars | Dial | Kohler |
| Levi's | Durasoft | Lowenbrau |
| Milton Bradley | Busch Beer | Chili's |
| Jewel Foods | Toyota | Illinois Tourism |
| Kellogg's | Firestone | Tampax |
| Tombstone Pizza | Keebler | Celestial Seasonings |
| Chicago Fire (soccer) | Weber | Cadillac |
| Huffy | Cheetos | John Madden Football |
| Leo Burnett | Frosted Flakes | Gatorade |
| Secret | Starkist | Sunkist |
| Wrigley | Georgia Power | Glade |
| Hardee's | K-Mart | Raid |
| La-Z-Boy | Sara Lee | Payless |
| Chicago Field Museum | Arbonne | Mattel |
| Friendly's | Febreze | Frito-Lay |

## Personal life

Ruppert married Joan Tortorici, television writer/producer, in 1977.