Dig Richards | |
|---|---|
 October 1964, Sydney | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Digby George Richards |
| Born | 12 September 1940 Dunedoo, New South Wales, Australia |
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 17 February 1983 (aged 42) Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Rock and roll, country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, television presenter, musical theatre actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1957–1983 |
| Labels | Festival, Rex, RCA, EMI, Starcall |
Digby George "Dig" Richards (12 September 1940 – 17 February 1983) was an Australian rock and roll singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, musical theatre actor and television presenter, active during the late 1950s and early 1960s as lead singer with the R'Jays. Richards was the first Australian rock and roll artist to record a 12" LP record in Australia, with the self-titled album Dig Richards, released in November 1959. From 1971 he performed as a solo country music artist. According to the Kent Music Report he had four Top 30 national hit singles, "(My) Little Lover" / "Quarrels (Are a Sad Sad Thing)" (September 1960), "A Little Piece of Peace" (June 1971), "People Call Me Country" / "The Dancer" (February 1972), and "Do the Spunky Monkey" (June 1974). On 17 February 1983 Digby Richards died of pancreatic cancer, aged 42. He was survived by his wife, Sue and two children.