In 1974, he moved to
Los Angeles, where he and
Michael Sembello began writing songs, some which were recorded by
Art Garfunkel. From there, he found work as a songwriter, with one of his first cuts being "
That's How You Know When Love's Right", which became a Top Ten country hit when
Nicolette Larson and
Steve Wariner recorded it as a duet. After
Paul Overstreet departed the country music trio
S-K-O (formerly Schuyler, Knobloch and Overstreet), Bickhardt was recruited to take Overstreet's place in the trio. As a result, the group was renamed S-K-B (Schuyler, Knobloch and Bickhardt). Bickhardt made his debut on the group's second and final album, 1987's
No Easy Horses on MTM Records. This album contained several songs that he co-wrote, including two of its singles: "This Old House" and "Givers and Takers". On March 12, 2011, Bickhardt appeared with
J.D. Malone, Thom Schuyler, for a performance that included original music from all three artists. This tour was called "On the Road and in the Round." ==Personal life==