Dal Richards
Encyclopedia
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 . 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. , Richards also hosts a weekly one-hour show on radio station CISL
.
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".
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
(born Vancouver, 5 January 1918) is a Canadian big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
leader known as the King of Swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
.
His saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
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
Juliette (singer)
Juliette Augustina Sysak Cavazzi, CM , nicknamed , is a Canadian singer and television host who was featured on CBC Television from the 1950s through the 1970s....
were booked to replace Mart Kenney
Mart Kenney
Herbert Martin "Mart" Kenney was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader whose big band Mart Kenney and His Western Gentlemen was Canada's premier dance band during the 1930s and 1940s.-Musical career:...
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
Mike Harcourt
Michael Franklin Harcourt served as the 30th Premier of the province of British Columbia in Canada from 1991 to 1996, and before that as the 34th mayor of BC's major city, Vancouver from 1980 to 1986....
declared 3 February 1984 Dal Richards' Day.
Richards and his band continue to schedule performances . They perform in the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
, from the PNE
Pacific National Exhibition
The Pacific National Exhibition is a non profit organization which hosts an annual 17-day summer fair, seasonal amusement park, and arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It usually begins in mid-to-late August, and ends in early September, usually Labour Day.-History:The exhibition has been...
band stand to the annual New Year celebration at the Bayshore Hotel.
Richards led his band for many years in a weekly CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
show broadcast nationally from the Panorama Roof Ballroom of the Hotel Vancouver. , Richards also hosts a weekly one-hour show on radio station CISL
CISL (AM)
CISL is a Canadian adult standards radio station, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The station broadcasts on the AM band at 650 kilohertz. It is one of Canada's few remaining successful music stations on the AM dial. The calls in its moniker are generally pronounced "C-Isle".-History:CISL...
.
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
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
of the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
club set to the music of "I Love the Sunshine of Your Smile".