Hailing originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Rick 'Poppa Dawg' Halisheff has played for 20 yrs in a variety of bands and has backed up such artists as Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne, Michael Pickett, Harpdog Brown, Sherman 'Tank' Doucette, and Juno Award winner Dave Nicol.

For 10 years, he has been the bandleader and frontman for the very successful Western Canadian Blues band Dogskin Suit. In that time, they recorded 2 CDs, received airplay in Canada, and around the World including CBC's Saturday Night Blues and won numerous awards including Best Local Band 2001 & 2002 and an Honour In The Arts award.

They have shared the stage as opening acts and fellow musicians with Sonny Rhodes, Michale Pickett, Tony Coleman(BB King), Fathead, Frankie Lee, Johnny V, Jeff Healey, Jim Byrnes, Donnie McDougall(The Guess Who), Danny McBride(Chris DeBurg), Shirley King, The Powder Blues, Terry Edmunds and many others.

Even while recording his own music Poppa Dawg also had the chance to play on Jane Eamon's critically acclaimed disc 'A Different Place' including the song 'Ruckus In The Henhouse' and loaned his guitar and production skills to Hohner sponsored, Sherman Doucette's, newest CD 'Harp & Soul'. With the release of his newest CD, 'Same Dog, New Suit' Poppa Dawg is already getting rave reviews from magazines such as Real Blues and Blues Review

With a tounge planted frimly in his cheek, Poppa Dawg's songs cover a variety of the usual Blues subjects, love and loss with a touch of humour and his own style.