Richard Dobson
| Richard Dobson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard James Joseph Dobson II |
| Also known as | Richard Dobson |
| Born |
March 19, 1942 Tyler, Texas, United States |
| Genres |
Country Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, roughneck, fisherman |
| Instruments |
Singing Guitar |
| Years active | 1977 – present |
| Labels | Buttermilk, Rinconada, RJD, Brambus, Sundown |
| Associated acts | State of the Heart, Dick & the Dirt, Earthmover |
| Website |
www |
Richard Dobson (born March 19, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter.
He was born in Tyler, Texas. He spent time in the 1970s with Townes Van Zandt, Mickey White, Rex "Wrecks" Bell, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and "Skinny" Dennis Sanchez.
Although his name is not prominent, some of his songs were recorded by famous artists such as David Allan Coe ("Piece of Wood and Steel"), Guy Clark ("Forever, for Always, for Certain"; "Old Friends"), Lacy J. Dalton ("Old Friends"), Nanci Griffith ("Ballad of Robin Winter-Smith"), and Kelly Willis ("Hole in My Heart"). His song "Baby Ride Easy" was recorded as a duet by Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds as well as by Billie Jo Spears and Del Reeves. It has also been recorded by the Carter Family. For the TV show Christmas On The Road in Montreux in 1984 it was performed by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. He wrote an autobiographic book about his years with Townes Van Zandt and the others mentioned before, called The Gulf Coast Boys. A second book, entitled Pleasures of the High Rhine — A Texas Singer in Exile, was published in February 2012. He's also irregularly publishing a newsletter called Don Ricardo's Life & Times which is mostly about personal experiences. It used to be printed but now is published on his homepage. A collection of his newsletters from 1978 to 2012 were released as a book in 2013.[1]
He moved to Switzerland in 1999, and has been living there ever since. In November 2005 he recorded an album in Nashville with Thomm Jutz, a friend and musician he played and recorded with in Europe. The album On Thistledown Wind was released in 2006. The following album Back at the Red Shack was recorded at the same studio in Houston, Texas where his first two albums were recorded. For the recording of his album From a Distant Shore he returned to Thomm Jutz's studio in Nashville again in 2008 and for Here in the Garden in 2013.
Discography
- Singles
| Year | Single | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | "Baby Ride Easy" b/w "Learning to Forget You" | Buttermilk |
| 197x | "The Hard Way" b/w "Swamp Rat" | Rinconada/Buttermilk |
- Albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | In Texas Last December | Buttermilk |
| 1979 | The Big Taste | Rinconada |
| 1983 | Save the World | RJD |
| 1986 | True West | RJD |
| 1988 | Live at the Station Inn | RJD |
| 1990 | Hearts & Rivers | Brambus |
| 1993 | Blue Collar Blues | Brambus |
| 1994 | Amigos - Richard Dobson Sings Townes Van Zandt | Brambus |
| 1994 | Mankind | Sundown |
| 1995 | Backtracks: Save the World/True West | RJD |
| 1995 | One Bar Town | Brambus |
| 1996 | Love Only Love | Brambus |
| 1998 | Salty Songs | Brambus |
| 1999 | Global Village Garage | R&T Musikproduktion |
| 2001 | Hum of the Wheels | Brambus |
| 2002 | Doppelgaenger | Brambus |
| 2003 | A River Will Do | Brambus |
| 2006 | On Thistledown Wind | Brambus |
| 2007 | Back at the Red Shack | Brambus |
| 2009 | From a Distant Shore | Brambus |
| 2013 | Here in the Garden | Brambus |
| 2014 | Gulf Coast Tales | Self-Released |
References
- ↑ Richard J. Dobson. The Years the Wind Blew Away: Don Ricardo's Life and Times. The Newsletters of Richard J. Dobson. Diessenhofen, Switzerland, 2013. ISBN 978-1493519521.
External links
- Official website
- Guide to the Richard J. Dobson collection, 1962-2014 (Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA)