Richard James Joseph Dobson II (March 19, 1942 – December 16, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter and author. Dobson was part of the outlaw country movement and spent time in the 1970s with

Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.

, Mickey White, Rex "Wrecks" Bell,

Guy Clark Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffet ...

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...

Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

, and "Skinny" Dennis Sanchez.

Life and music

Dobson was born in

Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...

, United States, and grew up in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

and Corpus Christi. He attended St. Thomas High School in Houston and graduated from St. Michael’s in Santa Fe,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

in 1960. During Dobson’s brief stint at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

for international relations, he was influenced by

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

and bluegrass. He took off from school for several years and spent some time in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

; eventually, he returned to Houston and enrolled at the

University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: *Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...

, graduating with a degree in Spanish in 1966. After graduation, he went to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

with the

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...

for a year and a half, taught for a year in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, tried his hand at being a writer in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, and grew more confident in his guitar skills. Dobson moved to

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

in 1971 with just a handful of songs already written. He had read an article about

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...

’s success as a college-educated musician and felt inspired to follow suit. He shared a house with

and "Skinny" Dennis Sanchez and began to meet other songwriters, including

Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.

, and Mickey White. Guy Clark demoed Dobson's "Baby Ride Easy" and, later, co-wrote the song "Old Friends" with Susanna Clark and Dobson. He later toured

Jackson Hole Jackson Hole (originally called Jackson's Hole by mountain men) is a valley between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the border with Idaho, in Teton County, one of the richest counties in the Unite ...

and the

Rockies The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

with Van Zandt, White, and Rex Bell. Dobson also appeared in ''

Heartworn Highways ''Heartworn Highways'' is a documentary film by James Szalapski whose vision captured some of the founders of the Outlaw Country movement in Texas and Tennessee in the last weeks of 1975 and the first weeks of 1976.AllMovie entry for Heartworn Hig ...

'', a documentary that featured members of the Texas music scene - some living in Nashville - including Van Zandt, Clark, Steve Earle, and Rodney Crowell. Dobson spent most of his life moving back and forth between Texas and Tennessee. He worked on shrimp boats in

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

and oil rigs in the

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

with Rex Bell when he needed money and a break from the industry, but he kept writing and playing even when he was on the ocean. He wrote the oft-recorded song "Baby Ride Easy" on a drilling rig off the shore of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

before he first headed to Nashville. When Dobson was in Houston, he frequently played Anderson Fair and the Old Quarter. On August 13, 1977, he appeared with St. Elmo’s Fire on ''The Lil Ol’ Show That Comes on After Monty Python''. In Tennessee, he played at the

Bluebird Cafe The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. ...

in 1982 with

Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that re ...

, Hugh Moffat, and R.D. Mowery. On January 22, 1995, Dobson and Townes Van Zandt were live guests on KUT radio. Hosted by Larry Monroe, they discussed their music,

Blaze Foley Michael David Fuller (December 18, 1949 – February 1, 1989), better known by his stage name Blaze Foley, was an American country music singer-songwriter, poet, and artist active in Austin, Texas. Background Foley was born Michael David Fuller ...

, and played several songs. Dobson released his first album, ''In Texas Last December'', in 1977 through Buttermilk Records. He home-produced four albums, including ''Save the World'' (1983) and ''True West'' (1986). From 1977 to his last album within his life in 2016, ''Plenty Good People'', Dobson released 23 albums. His last album ''I Hear Singing'' was finished posthumously, according to previous agreements by his band, and released on December 7, 2018. In the late 1980s, Dobson formed the group State of the Heart with Mike Dunbar as producer and Susie Monick as banjo and mandolin player. They began performing around 1987, releasing ''Live at the Station Inn'' in 1988 and ''Hearts and Rivers'' in 1990. They toured Europe for about six weeks yearly, a tour that Dobson continued taking even after State of the Heart was no longer together. Dobson co-wrote many songs with friends and fellow songwriters including: “Blue Collar Blues” with Ron Davies; “Hole in my Heart” with

; “Long Gone Love Song” with Mickey White; “Love Train,” “She’s Gone to Memphis,” and “Welcome to the Wild Side of Me” with Susanna Clark; “Old Friends” and “So Have I” with Guy and Susanna Clark; “One Bar Town” and “Que se yo?” with Pinto Bennett; “Pony Ride” with

Hal Ketchum Hal Michael Ketchum (April 9, 1953November 23, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. He released eleven studio albums from 1986 to 2014, including nine for divisions of Curb Records. Ketchum's 1991 album ''Past the Point of ...

; “Uncertain Texas” with

; many songs with Susie Monick; and the album ''Plenty Good People'' with W.C. Jameson. His songs have been recorded by famous artists such as

David Allan Coe David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly i ...

("Piece of Wood and Steel"),

("Forever, for Always, for Certain"; "Old Friends"),

Lacy J. Dalton Lacy J. Dalton (born Jill Lynne Byrem; October 13, 1946) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for her gritty, powerful vocals, which ''People Magazine'' likened to a country equivalent of Bonnie Raitt. Dalton had a ...

("Old Friends"),

Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'' starting in 1985 (season 10). In 1994 she won a Grammy Award fo ...

("Ballad of Robin Winter-Smith"), and

Kelly Willis Kelly may refer to: Art and entertainment * Kelly (Kelly Price album) * Kelly (Andrea Faustini album) * ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap * "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland * ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadia ...

("Hole in My Heart"). Dobson's song "Baby Ride Easy" was recorded as a duet by

Carlene Carter Carlene Carter (born Rebecca Carlene Smith; September 26, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith. As of 2020, since 1978, Carter has recorded 12 album ...

and

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has alwa ...

Billie Jo Spears Billie Jo Spears (born Billie Joe Moore; January 14, 1938 – December 14, 2011) was an American country music singer. She reached the top 10 of the country music chart five times between 1969 and 1977, her biggest being "Blanket on the Ground", ...

and

Del Reeves Franklin Delano Reeves (July 14, 1933 – January 1, 2007) was an American country music singer, best known for his "girl-watching" novelty songs of the 1960s including "Girl on the Billboard" and "The Belles of Southern Bell". He is also know ...

, and by the

Carter Family Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. ...

. For the TV show ''Christmas On The Road'' in Montreux in 1984 it was performed by

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

and

June Carter Cash June Carter Cash (born Valerie June Carter; June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter and dancer. A five-time Grammy award-winner, she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. Prior ...

. Their duet version was released in 2014 on the posthumous album ''

Out Among the Stars ''Out Among the Stars'' is a posthumously released studio album by Johnny Cash. It was released on March 25, 2014, by Legacy Recordings. The recordings come from lost 1980s sessions with famed countrypolitan producer Billy Sherrill, which were ...

.'' Dobson wrote an account of his years with

Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.

and others mentioned above, ''The Gulf Coast Boys,'' first published in 1990. A second book, ''Pleasures of the High Rhine — A Texas Singer in Exile'', was published in February 2012. He irregularly published a newsletter known over the years as ''Poor Richard's Newsletter,'' ''Don Ricardo's Life & Times'', and finally ''Don Ricardo's Report from the High Rhine.'' The newsletter - addressed to fans and friends - was in print through ''Omaha Rainbow'' and later on his website. A collection of the newsletters from 1978 to 2012 was released as ''The Years the Wind Blew Away: Don Ricardo's Life and Times'' in 2013.Richard J. Dobson. The Years the Wind Blew Away: Don Ricardo's Life and Times. The Newsletters of Richard J. Dobson. Diessenhofen, Switzerland (2013); . Dobson moved to

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

in 1999 and lived there until his death. In 2002, he released an album with Thomm Jutz, a friend and musician he often 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 Rock Romano's studio in Houston, Texas - the same studio where Dobson's first two albums were recorded. He returned to Thomm Jutz's studio in Nashville again in 2008, for the recording of ''From a Distant Shore'' and, in 2013, for ''Here in the Garden''. Richard Dobson died in

Diessenhofen Diessenhofen is a village and a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. The village is situated on the south shore of the High Rhine just opposite the German town of Gailingen am Hochrhein. History Diessenhofe ...

, Switzerland, of a cancer disease on December 16, 2017, aged 75.

Discography

Singles

Albums

References

External links

*
Guide to the Richard J. Dobson collection, 1962-2014
(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA)
Richard Dobson Online Exhibit in Houston Folk Music Archive
(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA)
Richard Dobson Online Newsletters, Feb. 2016-Jan. 2017
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobson, Richard 1942 births 2017 deaths Singer-songwriters from Texas People from Tyler, Texas American folk singers American country singer-songwriters American expatriates in Switzerland Country musicians from Texas Brambus Records artists