Digby 'Dig' Richards (12 September 1941 in Dunedoo, New South Wales – 16 February 1983) was a rock and roll singer, mostly active during the late 1950s and 1960s as lead singer with The R'Jays (previously called the 'Red Jeans', and later becoming the 'Rajahs').
The band played their first dance in August 1958 and auditioned with Festival Records in 1959. They were one of the first three acts to receive a recording contract by the label; the others were Johnny O'Keefe and Col Joye and The Joy Boys. Dig Richards and the R'Jays' first single was 'I Wanna Love You' which was written by Richards' 15 year-old brother and which peaked at No. 8 on the Sydney record charts.
Dig Richards and the R'Jays were the first group to play live on Brian Henderson's Bandstand.They were also regulars on Six O'Clock Rock with O'Keefe. From August 1959 they were the house band on music television show Teen Time, which ran on Sydney's ATN-7 until about 1962.
Richards was seriously injured in a car accident in October 1959 on the approaches to Sydney Harbour Bridge. After 1962 he became a solo performer and taught himself to play the guitar. In 1964 he compered a children's TV quiz show, the Ampol Stamp Quiz, with co-host Little Pattie. He continued performing and recording into the 1970s, as Digby Richards with a mainly Country style. In 1979 Richards toured Europe as the support act for Dolly Parton. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1983.
This generous 69 track compilation contains his early rock and roll recordings plus his later more popular styled tracks.
to se Great e another Aussie music blog up and running - good work Marty!
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