In l993, former Vancouver Sun writer and Richmond resident Nadine Jones had the opportunity to meet musical icon Dal Richards at the Dunbar home of Eric Nicol, the Steven Leacock Award winning writer (now deceased), where she interviewed them for her weekly column.
Here, Jones relives for the Richmond News her encounter with the talented pair.
Sadly, the death of Dal Richards occurred last week. He was 97 years old.
Surely, almost every old-time Vancouverite has danced or swayed to the music of Dal Richards’ Big Band, whether at Hotel Vancouver’s Panorama Roof; or on a cruise where he sometimes entertained; or at the PNE where he brought music to our ears until a year ago; perhaps at a private function for which he had been hired; or at a friend’s wedding. He was a bandleader for all occasions.
“I started with my sax in my own band at Magee high school,” Richards explained, “went on to the Alma Academy, the Palomar and then followed Mart Kenny to the Hotel Vancouver for six weeks, then eight weeks, then a year and then 25 of them.”
Richards told how he got into his musical career by accident — literally.
“I was walking through Spirit Park with my mum when suddenly I tripped and fell, and something pierced my eye. From then on, I was blind in my left eye. I completely fell apart psychologically — as only a nine-year-old can fall apart... The therapist suggested my mum buy me a musical instrument, so she bought me a clarinet and that’s how...my musical career began.”
Some of you old-time Vancouverites might remember the baton wielder named Delamont. He and his band all dressed in white suits would play in the bandstand in the small triangle Alexander Park at English Bay on Sunday evenings. Richards joined that band, and from then on there was no looking back.
Richards, still leading a combo until 1 a.m. at the old Ramada Inn, said, “I took time off to study hotel management. And after two years, at age 50, I was awarded the B.C. and Yukon Hotel Associations’ medal for Outstanding Achievement.”
But he must have had lows, as well. When asked, he said, “In l965, when the big band era was headed for the dumpster, that had to be the lowest ebb for me, and that is when I decided to take the hotel management course.”
Happily for Richards, after 15 years of hotel management and sales, his Saturday night dances at his workplace, the Devonshire Hotel, caught on, and the big band sound became popular again.
No memories of Richards would be complete without the name of “our pet” Juliette being mentioned. She sang with his band as did Lorraine McAllister, to whom he was married for 31 years. Richards had one daughter.
For the last 13 years of his life, he was married to his last love, Muriel Richards, nee Honey.
It’s hard to believe that such a musical icon as Richards, Vancouver’s own music man, is no longer with us.
But our memories of the gentleman and his music live on.
