ENTERTAINER • ANNOUNCER • ATHLETIC TEAM OWNER
Richard began his singing career as a six-year-old soprano in Sunday school in his native Camden, New Jersey. He was a tenor in the glee club in seventh grade, but when he returned in the fall for eighth grade, he was a bass!
He loved sports and music, decided he had more talent for the latter, and developed a simple goal: “I wanted to be in the best vocal group in the world.” Before joining the Oaks in 1972, Richard sang in various groups, most notably backing Elvis Presley as a member of The Stamps Quartet.
Baseball has also been a longtime passion. For many years he has been an owner of the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers AAA club), attending spring training, even taking bus trips with the team.
His well-tailored clothing reveals one of his other loves.
“When I was singing part-time and working in a clothing store,” Richard recalls, “I developed a real interest in fashion, and it’s something that has carried through.”
Richard enjoys fine restaurants, collecting wine, and traveling — particularly to the seashore, where he likes sailing and snorkeling. A fitness buff, he has a bicycle at home and keeps another stowed in a bay under the tour bus. He even has a case so he can check a bicycle aboard airplanes.
Because of his longstanding interest in weather (he enjoys watching the Weather Channel!), Richard recently recorded public service announcements for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio network, the “voice” of the National Weather Service. Richard is also the “voice” for the Classic Country channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.
He and his wife Donna have two daughters living at home, Lauren and Tori. He also has three older sons, Rich, Doug and Chris, as well as six grandchildren.
Today's show is hosted by Tomás filling in for Mike Horn.