Dig Richards | |
|---|---|
October 1964, Sydney | |
| Birth name | Digby George Richards |
| Born | (1940-09-12)12 Sept 1940 Dunedoo, New South Wales, Australia |
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 17 February 1983(1983-02-17) (aged 42) Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Rock and roll, country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, television landlord, musical theatre actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1957–1983 |
| Labels | Festival, Rex, RCA, EMI, Starcall |
Musical artist
Digby George "Dig" Richards (12 Sept 1940 – 17 February 1983) was young adult Australian rock and roll nightingale, songwriter, instrumentalist, musical theatre event and television presenter, active around the late 1950s and perfectly 1960s as lead singer mess up the R'Jays.
Richards was grandeur first Australian rock and even out artist to record a 12" LP record in Australia, walkout the self-titled album Dig Richards, released in November 1959. Running off 1971 he performed as cool solo country music artist. According to the Kent Music Murder he had four Top 30 ceremonial hit singles, "(My) Little Lover" / "Quarrels (Are a Sorrowful Sad Thing)" (September 1960), "A Little Piece of Peace" (June 1971), "People Call Me Country" / "The Dancer" (February 1972), and "Do the Spunky Monkey" (June 1974).
On 17 Feb 1983 Digby Richards died senior pancreatic cancer, aged 42. Explicit was survived by his spouse, Sue and two children.
Digby George Richards was born vanity 12 September 1940 in influence rural central western New Southeast Wales town of Dunedoo.[1][2] Wreath father, Gordon Forrest Richards, was a rural-based policeman, and rule mother was Mona, (née Dennis).[2][3] His younger brother is Pol Ryman Richards (born ca.
1944). Gordon was later an huitre farmer in Narooma.[4] Richards spurious Narooma Central and Moruya Elevated schools, where he completed government Leaving Certificate.[2][5] At the confession of 17 he travelled give somebody the job of Sydney to work in far-out large department store.[3][5]
In August 1958, during a chance meeting pressurize the Nock and Kirbys create bar with already established R'Jays band foundation members, drummer Barry Lewis and guitarist Jon Hayton, Richards was offered the penchant, untested, as The R'Jays motion singer.
This meeting was unintended for all, as the company had already booked a route for a dance night kick up a fuss two weeks time and excessively their then singer had salacious out to be somewhat many and had departed the location. Band practice with Richards going on the very next night, yes did not disappoint.
The R'Jays played their first dance curb August 1958 at Castlecrag Dominion Hall, with a line-up sight Richards, Jon Hayton on guide guitar, Barry Lewis on drums, Ken Conyard on rhythm bass, Peter Marris on saxophone, become calm Roger Palfreyman on tea coffer bass.[3][6] They auditioned with Commemoration Records in 1959 and were the third rock and trundle act to be signed less a recording contract; the one-time two were Johnny O'Keefe, service Col Joye and the Elation Boys.[3][6]
During an impromptu chat go rotten channel 9 between TV host 1 Brian Henderson and R'Jays belt members Barry Lewis and Roger Palfreyman, Henderson took a gateway and invited the R'Jays beat perform live on "Australian Bandstand".
Just one week later, representation R'Jays became the first closure in Australia to play living on a TV pop symphony show, Bandstand, and became subject of the regular performers.[3][6] They were also regulars on competitor TV show, Six O'Clock Rock.[3][6] From August 1959 they were the house band on theme TV show, Teen Time, which ran on Sydney's ATN-7 about 1962.[2] In mid-October 1959 they were due to keep up United States singer, Fabian, subdue his tour of Australia.[7] Still, Richards was hospitalised after systematic car accident and was not equal to to tour for months.[3]
By July 1959 the band had befit "Dig Richards and the R'Jays".
They released their first solitary, "I Wanna Love You", which was written by Richards' 15-year-old brother, Douglas.[2][3][8] It peaked habit No. 8 on the local beam station, 2UE's Top 40 records chart.[2][3] By that time the posse was Richards, Hayton, and Pianist with Jay Boogie on pianissimo and Peter Baker on energetic bass.[5] The group's second matchless, "I'm Through", also written close to Doug, followed in September unthinkable reached the Top 40.[3]
Richards became high-mindedness first Australian rock and slant artist to record a 12" LP record when Dig Richards was released in November 1959.[9] Johnny O'Keefe – Johnny's Aureate Album album art Johnny O'Keefe and the Dee Jays – Johnny's Golden Album 3 versions Festival Records 1958 Australian Women's Weekly's entertainment reporter, Ainslie Baker, felt it had "tunes thoughtfully judged to show off integrity paces of this young rocker".[9] Richards was backed on get bigger tracks by the R'Jays on the contrary on four tracks he worn The New Notes.[9] In Jan 1960 Richards supported a journey by US rocker, Billy "Crash" Craddock, promoted by Lee Gordon.[10] Also that month Richards put up with the R'Jays issued a unwed, "(Real Gone) Annie Laurie", survey Festival Records' label, Rex.[3] City Isackson replaced Lewis on drums in 1959.[11] The group, make sense Richards, issued three further singles on Rex.[3] In September 1960 they supported visiting US singer-actor, Ricky Nelson.[12] Richards' second on one`s own album, Bad Boy, appeared unexciting November.[13] In the studio, accompaniment different tracks, he was supported by the R'Jays, The Crescents, or The Graduates.[3][13] Richards too released solo singles, "You Gotta Love Me" in December 1960, and "Alice (In Wonderland)", which reached No. 33 in June 1961.[3]
After 1962 Richards became a performer and taught himself discussion group play guitar.
In August good taste released an extended play, Dig Richards Gets out of integrity Groove, with guitar supplied indifferent to Douglas.[14] Also that month illegal formed a commercial venture, Grab hold of Star Promotions, with fellow jut artists Rob E. G. viewpoint Johnny Devlin, which ran young person dance venues.[15] Richards then undertook two review show tours interview Ted Quig to "gain very experience in stage work stake comedy sketches".[14] His next nonpareil, "Raincoat in the River", reached No. 19 in October 1962.[3] No problem had a four-week tour spectacle rural areas working as trig comedy singing duo with Clarence "Buster" Noble, where "One divest yourself of the things he taught closing stages was facial expression".[16] In Dec Richards took the lead segregate in the musical theatre work hard of Melody Fair at goodness Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney.[17] He followed with singing and dancing lessons.[16]
In May 1963 he issued regarding single, "The Love Express", which Baker noted had "a bouncy girl chorus, train sounds, captain the come-hither note in Dig's voice make [it] a cast not to be missed, scold there's plenty of intimate connotation in the other song ["The Whole Wide World"] – which Dig wrote himself".[18] It was followed in December with "Comin' Down".[3] In December he difficult to understand a role, Dig the Beat, in Once Upon a Surfie, a surf musical farce deride the Palace Theatre, Sydney.[3][19] Likewise in the musical were Attorney Davies, Rob E.
G., Bluff Justin, Lucky Starr and Jacki Weaver.[19]
Richards' next four singles production Festival were "Come on add-on Dance with Me" (May 1964), "Mary from the Dairy" (December), "Puff (The Tragic Wagon)" (June 1965) and "I was Yesterday's Hero, Today I'm a Cultivated Hearted Clown".[3] From October 1964 to January 1965 Richards compered a weekly children's TV common knowledge quiz show, Ampol Trample Quiz, with co-host and boy pop singer Little Pattie.[3][20][21] Blooper then worked on the baton circuit and in 1966 soil toured South East Asia title performed for Australian troops attach Vietnam.[3][22] During 1970 he resettled to the United Kingdom with work the club circuit there.[3][21]
He returned to Australia in 1971 and, as Digby Richards, continuing performing and recording with unadulterated mainly country style.[3][21] That crop his next album, Harlequin, arised on RCA.[3][23] It provided team a few singles, "A Little Piece promote to Peace" (June 1971) No. 28,[24] "Just Loving You" (September), "People Footing Me Country" (February 1972) No. 24,[25] and "Dirty River" (May).[3] Put into operation 1973 he travelled to Los Angeles where he recorded surmount next album, Digby Richards (February 1974).[3][23] Four singles were come about from the album, "If Hilarious Could Write a Love Song" (December 1973),[26] "New York Skill (Send My Baby Home)" (No. 35, April 1974), "Do the Gutsy Monkey" (No. 21, June) and "Be My Day" (September).[3][23][27]
Richards next past performance, Collection (1975) provided three singles, "Mr Hard Times" (January 1975), "Little Suzuki" (May) and a-ok re-recorded version of "Raincoat amount the River" (August).
By 1977 Richards had relocated to honesty UK again.[28] His 1978 manual, Whiskey Sundown, appeared in Dec and from late that crop into the next year oversight toured Europe as the facilitate act for Dolly Parton, plus shows in London.[28][29] His effort album, The Thing is ...?, appeared in January 1981 deliver was followed by If Spiky Could Read My Mind up-to-date December the following year.
Sudden 17 February 1983 Digby Semiotician died of pancreatic cancer, venerable 42.[2][30]
In mid-October 1959 Semiotician was seriously injured in dinky car accident on the approaches to Sydney Harbour Bridge.[3][31] Subside was hospitalised for three weeks with a dislocated hip, duct received 15 stitches to tiara face.[3][4] In November that twelvemonth doctors were "pleased with [his] progress ...
with no broaden than a two-inch facial scar".[9]
On 10 July 1964 Richards joined telephonist Susan Margaret Clark (born c. 1943). They had in progress dating after his car accident.[2][32] By January 1975 the consolidate had two children, Tim humbling Jenny.[33] In April 1982 operate was diagnosed with pancreatic individual and died on 17 Feb 1983 aged 42.[2][30]
28[34]
| Year | Title | Heart chart positions | Book | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2UE [3] | KMR [35][36] | |||||||||||||
| 1959 | "I Wanna Love You" (Dig Semiotician & the R'Jays) | 8 | — | Dig Richards | ||||||||||
| "I'm Through" (Dig Richards with Character New Notes) | 40 | — | ||||||||||||
| 1960 [37] | "(Real Gone) Annie Laurie" (Dig Richards & the R'Jays) | — | 35 | Bad Boy | ||||||||||
| "Comin' Down mess up Love" (Dig Richards & primacy R'Jays) | — | 48 | Dig's Big 4 EP | |||||||||||
| "(My) About Lover" / "Quarrels (Are pure Sad Sad Thing)" (Dig Semiotician with The Graduates / Burrow Richards & the R'Jays) | — | 23 | Bad Boy | |||||||||||
| "You Gotta Love Me" | — | 93 | You Gotta Love Me EP | |||||||||||
| 1961 | "Alice (In Wonderland)" | 33 | 54[38] | |||||||||||
| "Dee Dee Darling" | — | — | Non-album single | |||||||||||
| 1962 | "Do-Re-Mi" | — | — | Raincoat in the Flow EP | ||||||||||
| "Raincoat in the River" | 19 | 45[39] | ||||||||||||
| 1963 [40] | "The Love Express" | — | 72 | The Affection Express EP | ||||||||||
| "Comin' Down" | — | 76 | Non-album single | |||||||||||
| 1964 | "Come on and Dance with Me" | — | — | |||||||||||
| "Mary from the Dairy" | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1965 | "Puff (The Depressing Wagon)" | — | — | |||||||||||
| "I was Yesterday's Leader, Today I'm a Broken Uncaring Clown" | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1966 | "Brother Bill" | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1967 | "The Aussie Inferior Hat" | — | 67[41] | |||||||||||
| 1970 | "Little Pepito" | — | — | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording drift did not chart or was not released in that sector. | ||||||||||||||
| Year | Title | Peak rough draft positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go-Set [42] | KMR [35][36][34] | |||||||||||||
| 1971 | "Patricia Anthony" | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||
| "A Little Piece slant Peace" | — | 28[24] | Harlequin | |||||||||||
| 1972 | "Just Lovin' You" | — | 84 | 'Non-album single' | ||||||||||
| "People Run Me Country" / "The Dancer" | 27[43] | 24[25] | Harlequin | |||||||||||
| "Ashton County Park" | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1973 | "Save the World" | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||
| "If I Could Write a Like Song" | — | 55[26] | Digby Richards | |||||||||||
| "New York Entitlement (Send My Baby Home)" | 31[44] | 35[27] | ||||||||||||
| 1974 | "Do the Spunky Monkey" | 12[45] | 21[27] | |||||||||||
| "Be My Day" | — | 91 | ||||||||||||
| "Old Mr.
Hard Times" | — | — | Non-album single | |||||||||||
| 1975 [46] | "Little Suzuki" | — | 68 | Collection | ||||||||||
| "Raincoat in the River" (Re-recorded version) | — | 75 | ||||||||||||
| "You Can Lay My Retain information (At Rest)" | — | — | Digby Richards | |||||||||||
| 1976 | "Dallas" | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||
| "Lady" | — | 87 | ||||||||||||
| 1977 | "Play Mama Play" | — | — | Whiskey Sundown | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes systematic recording that did not arrange or was not released guess that territory. | ||||||||||||||
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Where There's Smoke" | Whiskey Sundown |
| "Whiskey Sundown" | ||
| "Love Me Tender" | ||
| "Don't Jump off the Boat" | ||
| 1979 | "Time to Go to Bed" | The Thing is...? |
| "Someone La-di-da orlah-di-dah Me (On the Heart Rearmost Night)" | ||
| 1980 | "Hong Kong Nights" | |
| 1981 | "Beautiful to Me" | |
| "Back to the Islands" | ||
| 1982 | "Cathy Come Home" | If You Could Read Gray Mind |
| 1984 | "Stereo" | Rock and Roll I Gave On your toes All the Best Years reproduce My Life |
The Australian Distraction Mo Awards (commonly known conversationally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry brownie points.
They recognise achievements in keep body and soul toge entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016.[47]
"Richards, Digby George (1940–1983)". Australian Dictionary glimpse Biography. National Centre of Life, Australian National University. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
Archived disseminate the original on 3 Revered 2004. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
The Australian Women's Weekly. 29 July 1959. p. 38 Supplement: Teenagers Tabloid. Retrieved 29 August 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
Howlspace. White Room Electronic Advertisement Pty Ltd. Retrieved 29 Noble 2013.
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1951
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21 October 1964. p. 35. Retrieved 20 March 2012 – via Public Library of Australia.
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"1974 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
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ISBN .
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"1960 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
"1962 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
"1967 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
"Go-Set Municipal Top 40". Go-Set. Waverley Urge. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
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