There have been many tragic jazz lives - Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker. Sadly, the list is endless - the arts seems to have had more than its fair share of tortured souls who died too young.
Ann Richards' death never acquired the cult status of the above names and it's quite probable that many of our readers know little of her.
Richards, after a brief spell with the Charlie Barnet Orchestra joined the then high flying Stan Kenton band at the age of 19 following on from Anita O'Day, June Christy and Chris Connor - no pressure!
I first heard her on a Kenton 78 - Winter in Madrid. This was in the mid fifties and the line "You're the handsome prince, I'm the lonely heiress" captivated me and, for the 3 minute duration of the record, I was the handsome prince although, sadly the lonely heiress, who wasn't an heiress at all, went off and married Kenton. However, although we never actually met, she did call her second child Lance!
The above clip is from an album recorded after she'd left the band and her husband and gives a glimpse of what a swinger she was. I remember loaning the disc to a local Kenton aficionado, the late Margaret Barnes, who was equally impressed.
Richards was found shot dead on April 1, 1982 supposedly self-inflicted. Many have disputed this but requests over the years to the LAPD to have the file reopened have been unsuccessful - Sounds like a case for Michael Connolly and Harry Bosch. Lance
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