 Ritchie grew up in the Scottish village of Forth in Lanarkshire.He began playing harmonica at an early age, and when a neighbour threw out a piano, and Ritchie's parents took it in, Ritchie, at the age of 8, began playing semi-seriously, but as an almost secret activity.In 1960, Ritchie's friends, Johnny Moffat (vocals), Robert 'Flam' Fleming (guitar) (b. December 1943), William 'Big Wull' Ritchie guitar, he is also Billy Ritchie's cousin), Jim Stark (drums), and Duncan Blair (bass), formed a band called The Satellites.