Rest home to celebrate 81 year old record artist resident

Popular country and western tunes will resonate at Whangarei’s Radius Oakhaven Home this week as the rest home celebrates 81 year old Richard Gould’s recorded country music album.

Talented country and western singer and Radius rest home resident Richard Gould is set to celebrate his recorded music album “Let’s Go Country” 50 years on from when he first recorded his LP vinyl album.

The popular country and western album was a big success and included catchy tunes of the day such as Guitar Boogie, No one will ever know and Yesterday’s Girl.

Small in stature but with a big voice Richard was renown as the “singing jockey” and combined his day job of riding champion racehorses with his love of music, regularly singing and playing the guitar at taverns and music events in his hometown of Christchurch. In the early 1960’s Richard was approached by Christchurch record company Robbins Recording to produce a country music album in association with back up vocalists ‘The Country Cavaliers’.

Richard’s debut as a recording artist was a welcome addition to the New Zealand music scene at a time when the majority of recording companies seemed preoccupied with commercial pop music and appeared to have lost interest in promoting and encouraging homegrown talent.

“We had great fun producing that album,” says Richard whose incredible musical repertoire includes playing the mandolin, accordion, mouth organ, concertina, guitar and piano which he taught himself how to play in an astonishing three months.

“I really enjoyed entertaining the crowds and getting everyone’s feet stomping to the tunes of the day – it was a real buzz”.

Having been described as a man of many talents, Richard has led a varied and interesting life serving as the youngest member of the RSA in the merchant navy during the war and as a jockey, salesman, shop proprietor, motor mechanic, radio technician, magician, commercial fisherman and now music record artist.

In the early 1980’s Richard moved north to settle in Whangarei with his wife of 23 years Terry, and found work with NZ Towel Services and later as a commercial fisherman. Never without with his prized guitar it wasn’t long before Richard formed a small band ‘The Raumanga Country Group’ entertaining at various events and local Whangarei rest homes.

Richard now resides at Radius Oakhaven Home and although he is unable to sing the songs that once made him so popular he is very much looking forward to reminiscing those good old days as the rest home celebrates everything country and western.