Rick took up the drums at the age of 18 and his passion for drumming developed while serving in the forces as a musician. Rick received his Licentiate from the Guildhall School of Music in 1994 and started teaching drum kit in schools. In the middle of 1995 he began playing drums for guitarist Chris Watson, forming a hard bop jazz group that toured the country and played at festivals, including the Malta Jazz Festival in 1996. During this period Rick also did some live work with bassist Colin Hodgkinson, and was house drummer at The Troubadour, Earls Court, London, performing with Jim Mullen, Roger Beaujolais, Pete Wareham, Alan Barnes, Tina May and many others.

At the beginning of 1999 Rick formed his own jazz funk group, “Rick Hudson and the Boogaloo Band” and received lessons from jazz drummer Tommy Chase. In 2001 the band was signed to Blow it Hard Records and released a single, their interpretation of the Pee Wee Ellis funk classic, "Chicken". The band toured the country, the highlights being The Jazz Café, Ronnie Scott’s, and the 100 Club. In 2002 the band released an album, Dance for Daddy with Tommy Chase as producer. The album featured American alto player Richie Cole who has worked with Buddy Rich, Phil Woods, Tom Waits and many more. In 2003 Rick was back in the studio with the Boogaloo Band recording their second album Fly Me, which featured Rob Harris on guitar

In 2004, following the break up of the Boogaloo Band, Rick formed a new group, ‘Loose Juice’ producing a unique brand of high-energy instrumental funk with strong jazz and Brazilian influences. The band’s debut album “Shake” was released by Edge Face Records in November 2007. Rick also play drums for touring American blues acts such as Robert Penn and Frank Ace and was featured on a 2007 Frank Ace Album, 'Live in England'. As well as his playing commitments Rick teaches drum kit at the Perse schools in Cambridge, and examines drum kit for Trinity Guildhall London. Despite his ability and experience, Rick has exceptionally high standards and still practices tirelessly, continually striving for improvement.