Dal Richards

Dal Richards
Richards in March 2009
Background information
Birth name	Dal Murray Richards
Born	5 January 1918 (1918-01-05) (age 93) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Origin	Vancouver
Occupations	conductor, clarinetist, saxophonist
Years active	1940-present
Website	dalrichards.com

Dal Murray Richards, CM, OBC (born Vancouver, 5 January 1918) is a Canadian big band leader known as the King of Swing.

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 the music tastes changed in the mid-1960s and work dried up, Richards made a dramatic change in his career by taking training and going into hotel management. Still, he continued to perform regularly. Gradually, the interest in swing and big band started picking up again. In 1982-1983 Dal and his band recorded a pair of well-received revival albums. Vancouver mayor Mike Harcourt declared 3 February 1984 Dal Richards' Day.

Richards and his band continue to schedule performances as of October 2011^[update]. They perform 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.^[1] As of October 2010^[update], Richards also hosts a weekly one-hour show on radio station CISL.^[2]

After the death of his wife, he remarried and currently lives in a downtown penthouse loft.

Richards is 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".^[3]

Awards and recognition

• 1994: Order of Canada, Member^[4]

References

1. ^ Davis, Chuck, ed (1997). Greater Vancouver Book. Linkman Press. ISBN 9781896846002. 
2. ^ "Dal Richards". CISL. http://www.am650radio.com/DalRichards.aspx. Retrieved 31 October 2010. 
3. ^ Corbett, Neil (3 June 2010). "Dal Richards: 92 and still swinging". Mission City Record. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PWpHj-A6W5sJ:www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/missioncityrecord/community/95532024.html. Retrieved 31 October 2010. 
4. ^ "Dal Murray Richards, C.M., O.B.C.". Governor General of Canada. http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=3389&t=12. Retrieved 31 October 2010. 

External links

• Dal Richards' website

Persondata
Name	Richards, Dal
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	5 January 1918
Place of birth	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Date of death
Place of death