Rick Froberg
American musician and visual artist (1968–2023)
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Eric Gerald Farr (né Froberg; January 19, 1968 – June 30, 2023) was an American musician and visual artist. In his musical career he was the singer and guitarist for the San Diego-area bands Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, and Hot Snakes, performing alongside fellow San Diego musician John Reis. Froberg also played with the Last of the Juanitas, Thingy, Obits, and Crash Worship.
Rick Froberg | |
|---|---|
 Froberg performing with the Hot Snakes on October 7, 2005, in Philadelphia. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Rick Farr, Rick Fork |
| Born | January 19, 1968 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Died | June 30, 2023 (aged 55) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Punk rock, post-punk, post-hardcore, indie rock, garage rock, garage punk |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1986–2023 |
| Formerly of | |
Life and career
Eric Gerald Froberg was born on January 19, 1968, in Santa Monica, California. His family moved to Carlsbad in 1976. Froberg's father changed his family's name to "Farr" in 1979, but Froberg opted to use the original form as his stage name.[1]
In his career as a visual artist and illustrator he created album art, promotional artwork, and merchandise designs for all of his bands as well as for Rocket from the Crypt and Reis' Swami Records label. In 2025, Akashic Books published Plenty For All: The Art of Rick Fröberg, showcasing a range of Froberg's works, including pen and ink drawings, band and music-related art, linocuts, commercial work, paintings, and watercolors.[2][3]
Froberg died in San Diego on June 30, 2023, at the age of 55, from an undiagnosed heart condition.[1][4]
| Year | Act | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Crash Worship | This | drums |
| 1989 | Pitchfork | Saturn Outhouse | lead vocals, album art |
| 1990 | Eucalyptus | ||
| 1991 | Drive Like Jehu | Drive Like Jehu | guitar, lead vocals, album art |
| 1992 | "Hand Over Fist" / "Bullet Train to Vegas" | ||
| Rocket from the Crypt | Boychucker | album art | |
| 1994 | Drive Like Jehu | Yank Crime | guitar, lead vocals, album art |
| 1998 | Rocket from the Crypt | RFTC | album art |
| "Break it Up" | |||
| 2000 | Hot Snakes | Automatic Midnight | guitar, lead vocals, album art |
| 2002 | Suicide Invoice | ||
| 2003 | Beehive & the Barracudas | In Dark Love | album art |
| 2004 | Hot Snakes | Audit in Progress | guitar, lead vocals, album art |
| "This Mystic Decade" | |||
| 2005 | Peel Sessions | ||
| 2006 | Thunder Down Under | ||
| Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects | Listen Up | album art | |
| 2008 | Obits | "One Cross Apiece" / "Put It in Writing" | guitar, lead vocals, album art |
| 2009 | I Blame You | ||
| "I Can't Lose" / "Military Madness" | guitar, lead vocals | ||
| 2011 | Moody, Standard and Poor | guitar, lead vocals, album art | |
| 2012 | "Let Me Dream If I Want To" / "The City Is Dead" | guitar, lead vocals | |
| "Refund" / "Suez Canal" | guitar, lead vocals | ||
| 2013 | "Refund (Live)" / "Talking to the Dog (Live)" | guitar, lead vocals | |
| Bed and Bugs | guitar, lead vocals, album art | ||
| 2018 | Hot Snakes | Jericho Sirens | guitar, lead vocals |
