Riker Lynch (actor)

**Riker Anthony Lynch** (born November 8, 1991) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and dancer. He was previously cast as Jeff, one of the members of the Dalton Academy Warblers singing group, on Fox's television series *Glee*. He was awarded second place on season 20 of *Dancing with the Stars* with Allison Holker as his dance partner.

He is one of the lead singers and the bassist in R5 with his brothers Ross and Rocky, sister Rydel, and family friend Ellington Ratliff.

## Early life

Riker was born in Littleton, Colorado. He is the eldest of five children, one sister, Rydel, and three brothers, Rocky, Ross, and Ryland, born to Mark and Stormie Lynch. In the summer he would act in children's versions of plays such as *Peter Pan*, *Aladdin*, *Annie Get Your Gun*, *A Chorus Line*, and *Grease*. Riker and his sister Rydel took piano lessons and competed as partners in dance competitions.

While living in Colorado, the Lynch children made up and put on shows for their family when some of them were as young as four or five. They formed their own family band, R5. In 2008, Riker, at 16, decided that he wanted to move to L.A. to pursue an acting career. So their parents, Stormie and Mark Lynch, moved the whole family to Los Angeles, California, so that they could stay together. In October 2009, the family met Ellington Ratliff at a dance studio in California called 'The Rage', where he lived. Learning that Ellington could play drums, they added the final member, and formed the current R5. Riker is also the second cousin of Derek Hough and Julianne Hough and his brother Ross Lynch stars in the Disney Channel television series *Austin & Ally*.

## Career

### Acting

Riker was one of the Dalton Academy Warblers on Fox's hit show *Glee*. He was introduced as Jeff in the season 2 episode "Special Education", appearing thereafter as one of the Warbler singers in eleven more episodes through seasons 2, 3 and 4. He also appeared as a Warbler in the 2011 edition of the Glee Live! In Concert! tour, which performed from May through July 3, 2011 in the U.S., Canada, England and Ireland. A movie was filmed of the tour concert, which includes scenes with Riker performing as Jeff: *Glee: The 3D Concert Movie* was released on August 12, 2011. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 20, 2011 under the title *Glee: The Concert Movie*.

### Music

Riker is the bassist and one of the lead vocalists in the band R5 with his family members Rocky, Rydel, and Ross also their best friend Ratliff. In April 2012, R5 announced via the band's website that they had signed a record deal with Hollywood Records and that they are planning for their first club tour in May. After the tour, R5 played numerous summer shows across the US and in Canada. In September two R5 songs were released on the Austin & Ally Soundtrack. R5 also came out with an EP called Loud on February 19, 2013. Their first full-length album, Louder, was released September 24, 2013. The album includes the four songs from the EP, and their newest single, Pass Me By.

### Other ventures

On February 24, 2015, Lynch was announced as one of the celebrities who will participate on the 20th season of *Dancing with the Stars*. He was paired with professional dancer Allison Holker. On May 19, 2015, Lynch and Holker finished the competition in second place, losing to actress Rumer Willis.