Dal Richards
| Dal Richards | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Richards in March 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dallas Murray Richards |
| Born |
5 January 1918 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Origin | Vancouver |
| Occupation(s) | conductor, clarinetist, saxophonist, baus |
| Years active | 1940–present |
| Website |
www |
Dallas Murray "Dal" Richards,[1] CM, OBC (born in Vancouver, British Columbia, 5 January 1918) is a Canadian big band leader.
He graduated from Magee Secondary School in 1937.
His saxophone and clarinet were first heard in the Sandy DeSantis and Stan Paton bands. On 1 May 1940, Richards, his 11-piece band and a then-unknown 13-year-old Juliette were booked to replace Mart Kenney and His Western Gentlemen, Canada's leading dance band at the time. This initial six-week contract was extended to 25 years of regular performances and broadcasts at "The Roof".
When musical tastes changed in the mid-1960s and work dried up, Richards went into hotel management. Gradually the interest in swing and big band music picked up. In 1982-1983, Richards and his band recorded a pair of well-received revival albums. Mayor Mike Harcourt of Vancouver declared 3 February 1984 "Dal Richards' Day".
Richards and his band continue to perform. They play in the Lower Mainland, from the PNE band stand to the annual New Year celebration at the Bayshore Hotel.
Richards led his band for many years in a weekly CBC Radio show broadcast nationally from the Panorama Roof Ballroom of the Hotel Vancouver.[2] As of February 2012, Richards also hosts a weekly one-hour show on radio station CISL.[3]
Richards is commonly thought to be the lyricist of "Roar You Lions Roar", the fight song of the BC Lions football club set to the music of "I Love the Sunshine of Your Smile".[4] Peggy Miller of CJCA, an Edmonton radio station, wrote the lyrics in 1953, Dal Richards arranged and popularized the song with his band's performance at games.
Awards and recognition
- 1994: Order of Canada, Member[5]
References
- ↑ http://vancouverfoundation.ca/stories/dec-14-2008/dal-richards
- ↑ Davis, Chuck, ed. (1997). Greater Vancouver Book. Linkman Press. ISBN 978-1-896846-00-2.
- ↑ "Dal Richards". CISL. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ↑ Corbett, Neil (3 June 2010). "Dal Richards: 92 and still swinging". Mission City Record. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ↑ "Dal Murray Richards, C.M., O.B.C.". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
External links
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