Joseph Richard Dodd Jr. (October 27, 1945 – November 29, 2013) was an American actor and musician who was a cast member of ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised ...

'' starting in its first season, and later a member of several musical groups including

The Standells The Standells are an American garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as a "punk band of the 1960s", and said to have inspired such groups as the Sex Pistols and Ramones. They are best kno ...

. He was the lead singer on that band's 1966 ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' hit, "

Dirty Water "Dirty Water" is a song by the American rock band The Standells, written by their producer Ed Cobb. The song is a mock paean to the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and its then-famously polluted Boston Harbor and Charles River. History Accordi ...

", which includes the refrain "...Boston, you're my home".

Early life

Dodd was a native of

Hermosa Beach Hermosa Beach (''Hermosa'', Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Bay region of th ...

, California, and joined the cast of ''

'' at the age of nine in 1955, its first season. (He was no relation to series star

Jimmie Dodd James Wesley Dodd (March 28, 1910 – November 10, 1964) was an American actor, singer and songwriter best known as the master of ceremonies for the popular 1950s Walt Disney television series ''The Mickey Mouse Club,'' as well as the write ...

.) He was a member of the cast for one of the three seasons, and during that time, paid Annette Funicello $20 for a

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

, which the father of one of his co-stars (

Cubby O'Brien Carl Patrick O'Brien (born July 14, 1946), better known by his nickname Cubby, is an American drummer and former child actor. He is known as one of the original Mouseketeers on the weekday ABC television program ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' from 19 ...

) taught him to play. He was later a member of two surf rock bands,

The Bel-Airs The Bel-Airs were an early and influential surf rock band from South Bay, Los Angeles, active in the early 1960s. They were best known for their 1961 hit "Mr. Moto", an instrumental surf rock song that featured a flamenco-inspired intro and cont ...

and

Eddie & the Showmen Eddie & the Showmen were an American surf rock band of the 1960s. Formed in Southern California by Eddie Bertrand, formerly of The Bel-Airs, they released several singles on Liberty Records. Their highest-charting single in Los Angeles was "Mr. ...

, which he formed with Eddie Bertrand. He appeared as a dancer in the 1963 film musical ''

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...

'', and had television guest roles in the 1960s.

The Standells

Dodd was a drummer and vocalist for

the Standells The Standells are an American garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as a "punk band of the 1960s", and said to have inspired such groups as the Sex Pistols and Ramones. They are best kno ...

starting in 1964. The group's biggest

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

, "Dirty Water", recorded in 1965, became an anthem for sports fans in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

with its refrain of "Boston, you're my home," despite the group having no direct connection with the city. (The song was written by

Ed Cobb Edward C. "Ed" Cobb (February 25, 1938 – September 19, 1999) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most notably during the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for writing the song " Tainted Love" for Gloria Jones, which lat ...

, who was from New England and was working closely with the Standells in this time period). Dodd sang lead vocals on the recording; it was said of him: "When he opened his mouth, there was that voice: snotty and authoritative, an American

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

sort of voice....the sound that captures a particular era in '60s garage music." Although the Standells were widely regarded as "

one hit wonders A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...

", they had several lesser chart hits, and continued to record and tour. Dodd left the group in 1968. The Standells: biography by Richie Unterberger at Allmusic.com
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Later life

Dodd continued to perform occasionally, including as Dick Dodd and the Dodd Squad, and the Dodd Squad and in some reunions of the Standells from the 1980s onwards, making his last performance with them in 2012. In 1968 he released a solo album titled ''The First Evolution of Dick Dodd''. He also sometimes worked in

Buena Park Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 m ...

as a limousine driver. Dodd became a fan of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

later in life, and learned that the team played the song "Dirty Water" at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...

after that. The song had been chosen as a theme song for the team in 1997. He performed the song with The Standells at the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

in 2004, and at the team's home opener in 2005. In 2013 he announced that he was suffering from cancer, and died on November 29, 2013. He was married twice and had a daughter, Nicole St Pierre

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dodd, Dick 1945 births 2013 deaths American male child actors American male musicians American male television actors Deaths from cancer in California Male actors from California Mouseketeers Musicians from Orange County, California People from Hermosa Beach, California Singers from California The Standells members