Dal Richards

Dal Richards, born on January fifth, nineteen eighteen, was a prominent Canadian jazz musician and composer, renowned for his leadership of a big band that became a staple in the Lower Mainland music scene. His band was a familiar presence at the Pacific National Exhibition bandstand and the annual New Year celebrations at the Bayshore Hotel, where they performed an impressive seventy-nine consecutive New Year's Eve concerts until his passing on December thirty-first, two thousand fifteen.

Richards' influence extended beyond live performances; he was a beloved figure on Canadian radio. For many years, he hosted a weekly CBC Radio show that was broadcast nationally from the Panorama Roof Ballroom of the Hotel Vancouver. Additionally, he had a one-hour weekly show on radio station CISL, further solidifying his status as a key player in the Canadian music landscape.

While often mistakenly credited as the lyricist of the BC Lions football club's fight song,