Ric Dwenger (bass guitar and vocals) began teaching himself to play guitar as a pre-teen in Indianapolis.  After a year or so he acquired the bass that continues to be his primary axe and began playing in garage bands.  In college, he played and sang solo in campus shows and coffee houses, developed lifelong relationships with other musicians, and joined the bluegrass band, Bootleg, alternating between guitar and bass guitar.  After graduation, he played in a musical theater group, before joining the eclectic "newgrass" band, The Great Divide;  this band lasted more than 30 years.  As those years progressed, Ric became a respected clawhammer banjoist and award winning autoharpist. 

Ric joined The Fierce in November 2021, and has inspired the band through patience and triumph.  Growing with the band to develop parts that are "just right", his bass lines add a distinctive flavor to the music and his singing adds depth to the vocal range.  He and his wife Lisa live in Muncie. 

“Working up and performing this original music, that resonates so strongly with our audience, is thrilling!” —RD