Dallas jazz drummer W. A. Richardson passed away Tuesday morning

by PegNews wire

We received a forward from Shelley Carrol earlier today that local jazz drummer W. A. Richardson passed away. The body of the email itself says it better than any of us could, so I will repost here:

The Dallas cultural community has lost another jazz great with the passing of drummer W. A Richardson this morning. He enlivened the musical community with his dynamic presence and lent his talent to the music education world as well. Countless young musicians can thank W.A for leading them in the righteous direction as they traveled on their musical journey. But his gifts did not stop at music; hundreds of children mastered their chess skills under the careful tutelage of W.A., winning numerous chess tournaments as a result of his teaching. W.A. will be missed by many and forgotten by none as his imprint is deeply implanted in our hearts and cultural memory. Aye l'oja orun n'ile.

Email originally composed by Vicki Meek, manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center.

Posted by Erin

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jasondavisjazz says:

Mr. Richardson was one of the people that put me on stage as a teenager. We recorded at the DMA with Claude Johnson and Bruce Mendosa. I traveled yearly with him to New Orleans with Paul Quinn College's Jazz Band. He was a unique person and an extension of my family. On stage he would let me call the tunes that I knew. This helped me to grow and try harder to keep up. WA remains at the top of my list when it comes to my jazz influences. Rest in Peace Brother. -Jason Davis-