Delightful Dal

Presently the home of Uprising Bakery, this structure was built in 1910. As you can see, it also houses the Sandon Apartments.

I decided that the story of Dal Richards deserved to be continued today. So here are some more facts about this gentleman.

Richards is the lyricist of 'Roar You Lions Roar', which is the fight song for the BC Lions football team.

In 1985, Dal was awarded the Tourism Vancouver’s Man of the Year award. He is a member of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame having been inducted in 1994.

In 1995, he was appointed to the Order of Canada.

The 14-piece band of Dal's plays daily at the Pacific National Exhibition. The Chantel Lounge at the Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam features the Dal Richards Combo frequently.

Dal has been featured in two national television documentaries and his biography "Big Band Boom" won a silver medal at the U.S. International Film and Video Festival in Chicago in 1990. The show "What Legends are Made Of", that features the Dal Richards Orchestra, has been aired numerous times on the television stations Bravo and CTV.

He is an active volunteer with the Variety Club and in 1993 he was given their highest honor, the Heart Award, and Variety Club International’s Presidential Citation Award.

2003 saw Dal being awarded the Order of British Columbia and the year before he was given the Queen's Jubilee Medal. Dal Richards holds numerous local awards including Vancouver's Civic Award of Merit, which he was awarded in 1994.

In acknowledgement of his many years as musicial director of the half time shows, Dal was inducted into the BC Lions Wall of Fame.

In 2010, Dal was given the honor of carrying and running with the torch in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. He took the torch as it arrived in Vancouver. He was chosen by Mary McNeil, MLA for Vancouver False Creek and the Minister of State responsible for the Olympics and ActNow BC.

Richards was the Grand Marshal of the 100th Anniversary parade of the PNE.

There are so many sites to thank today. First of all Dal Richards website; Wikipedia;Jazz Elements;the Canadian Encyclopedia and the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, Dal Richards, PNE, 2010 Olympics, BC Lions, British Columbia

King of Swing

On January 5, 1918 was an auspicous day for Vancouver and big band music. For that was the day that the legendary Dallas (Dal) Murray Richards was born - a future Canadian big band leader who became known as the King of Swing.

Richards' saxophone and clarinet was first heard in the Sandy DeSantis and Stan Paton bands but it was with his own 11-piece band and the unknown young Juliette that Richards first became known. As I have written before, Richards' band was booked to play a six-week engagement to replace Matt Kenney and his Western Gentlemen - who happened to be the leading dance band at the time. The gig was at the Hotel Vancouver. That temporary gig turned into a twenty-five year appearance and a musical legend. (He has also played the Orpheum more times than he can remember)

Dal formed his first band as a kid after hearing Benny Goodman on the radio. At the age of 15 he played clarinet in the Kitsilano Boys Band, which was led by Arthur Delamont. After graduating Magee High School, Richards went to work as musician in clubs. He worked part time at the White Rock's Blue Moon Room playing saxophone. It was while working as a sideman at the Palomar Ballroom for Sandy DeSantis that Dal Richards' career was set. He was asked one day if he could lead the band and he did.

But by 1965 the music industry was changing and the big band style was no longer drawing in the audiences it once was. So Richards changed his career path and studied hospitality management at BCIT.

Fortunately in the mid-80s interest in the big band sound was revived and Richards was able to return to his love of being a working musician.

Dal Richards and his bands played at the opening of the Vogue Theatre in 1941; the opening of Empire Stadium in 1954;the played at the ceremonies that ushered the BC Lions into the CFL; they opened the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on July 5, 1959, in 1983 Dal's band played at the opening of the Vancouver Art Gallery at its present location as well as opening the Vancouver's Trade and Convention Centre in 1987.

And Dal is still going strong. He hosts an hour long radio show that features music from the 1930s, 40s and 50s on 650 AM. He still leads his band, in fact he has gigs set up for today, tomorrow and Saturday. (I look at the calendar at dalrichards.com) I also see him on TV in a commercial. He may be 94 years old but he is showing no signs of slowing down.

There is so  much information on this great entertainer and I don't have the room to tell all of it. I have also gleaned the information from many different sites.

If you are interested in seeing Dal Richards perform, visit his website and check the calender or book him for an event.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, Dal Richards, White Rock, Palomar Ballroom, BC Lions, British Columbia