Richard Dobson

Richard Dobson
Background information
Birth name Richard James Joseph Dobson II
Also known as Richard Dobson
Born March 19, 1942 (1942-03-19) (age 69)
Tyler, Texas, United States
Genres Country
Folk
Occupations Singer, Songwriter, Roughneck, Fisherman
Instruments Singing
Guitar
Years active 1977–present
Labels Buttermilk, Rinconada, RJD, Brambus, Sundown
Associated acts State of the Heart, Dick & the Dirt, Earthmover
Website www.richard-j-dobson.ch

Richard Dobson (born March 19, 1942) is an American singer/songwriter.

He was born in Tyler, Texas. He spent time in the 1970s with Townes Van Zandt, Mickey White, Rex "Wrecks" Bell, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell and "Skinny" Dennis Sanchez.

Although his name is not prominent, some of his songs were recorded and co-written by famous artists like David Allan Coe ("Piece of Wood and Steel"), Guy Clark ("Forever, for Always, for Certain"; "Old Friends"), Lacy J. Dalton ("Old Friends"), Nanci Griffith ("Ballad of Robin Winter-Smith") and Kelly Willis ("Hole in My Heart"). His song "Baby Ride Easy" was recorded as a duet by Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds as well as by Billie Jo Spears and Del Reeves. It has also been recorded by the Carter Family. For the tv show Christmas On The Road in Montreux in 1984 it was performed by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. He wrote an autobiographic book about his years with Townes Van Zandt and the others mentioned before, called The Gulf Coast Boys. Currently he is working on a new book, entitled Pleasures of the High Rhine — A Texas Singer in Exile. He's also irregularly publishing a newsletter called Don Ricardo's Life & Times which is mostly about personal experiences. It used to be printed but now is published on his homepage.

He moved to Switzerland in 1999 and has been living there ever since. In November 2005 he recorded an album in Nashville with Thomm Jutz, a friend and musician he played and recorded with in Europe. The album On Thistledown Wind was released in 2006. The following album Back at the Red Shack was recorded at the same studio in Houston, Texas where his first two albums were recorded. For the recording of his album From a Distant Shore he returned to Thomm Jutz's studio in Nashville again in 2008.

Discography

Year Single Label
1977 "Baby Ride Easy" b/w "Learning to Forget You" Buttermilk
197x "The Hard Way" b/w "Swamp Rat" Rinconada/Buttermilk
Year Album Label
1977 In Texas Last December Buttermilk
1979 The Big Taste Rinconada
1983 Save the World RJD
1986 True West RJD
1988 Live at the Station Inn RJD
1990 Hearts & Rivers Brambus
1993 Blue Collar Blues Brambus
1994 Amigos - Richard Dobson Sings Townes Van Zandt Brambus
1994 Mankind Sundown
1995 Backtracks: Save the World/True West RJD
1995 One Bar Town Brambus
1996 Love Only Love Brambus
1998 Salty Songs Brambus
1999 Global Village Garage R&T Musikproduktion
2001 Hum of the Wheels Brambus
2002 Doppelgaenger Brambus
2003 A River Will Do Brambus
2006 On Thistledown Wind Brambus
2007 Back at the Red Shack Brambus
2009 From a Distant Shore Brambus

External links