Richard George Manuel April 3, β March 4, was a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as a pianist and one of three lead singers in the Band , for which he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Manuel's singing alternated between a soul -influenced baritone that drew frequent comparisons to Ray Charles and a delicate falsetto.
Though The Band had three vocalists sharing lead and harmony parts, Manuel was sometimes seen as the group's primary vocalist. Manuel was born in Stratford, Ontario , Canada. His father, Ed, was a mechanic employed at a Chrysler dealership, and his mother was a schoolteacher.
He was raised with his three brothers, and the four sang in the church choir. Manuel took piano lessons beginning when he was nine, and enjoyed playing piano and rehearsing with friends at home. With Manuel on piano and vocals and his friend Jimmy Winkler on drums, the band was rounded out by bass player Ken Kalmusky later a founding member of Great Speckled Bird.
In short order, the group changed its name to the Revols , in deference to Duane Eddy and the Rebels. Although Richard was the primary vocalist, the line up expanded to include original singer Doug 'Bo' Rhodes. Guitarist Till would later be replaced by Garth Pictot. He's got more talent than Van Cliburn. After the show, he offered to manage the band, and sent them to play at one of his clubs, The Rockwood, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
In mid-September , after the Revols returned from their southern journey, Hawkins recruited Manuel to his backing band The Hawks, replacing piano player Stan Szelest. Manuel was 18 when he joined Hawkins's backing group, the Hawks. At this time the band already consisted of year-old Levon Helm on drums, year-old Robbie Robertson on guitar and year-old Rick Danko on bass; year-old organist Garth Hudson joined that Christmas, followed by two temporary members saxophonist Jerry Penfound and singer Bruce Bruno.
