Richard Dobson | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Richard James Joseph Dobson II |
Also known as | Richard Dobson |
Born | March 19, 1942 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.
Year | Single | Label |
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1977 | "Baby Ride Easy" b/w "Learning to Forget You" | Buttermilk |
197x | "The Hard Way" b/w "Swamp Rat" | Rinconada/Buttermilk |
Year | Album | Label |
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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 |