Richmond Brothers

Courtesy Photo: The Richmond Brothers

Reggie Thompson
The Paw Print

Musician brothers Jim, Ed, and Don Richmond, sons of the late former vocal professor Edward Richmond played in front of a sold out crowd in The Leon Memorial Concert Hall on October in celebration of the release of their new CD “Roots and Branches.”  This concert also acted as all ticket proceeds went to a scholarship fund to benefit current and future Adams State vocal students.
The brothers decided to split the event into two halves.  In the first half, the band played songs “Summer Wages” and “Old Man River” from “Roots and Branches,” which had a bluegrass/folk sound, whereas the second half of the performance, that they called the “wild stuff,” consisted of selections with a more of a country/rock feel to them.
The Richmonds were joined by pianist Dr. Sam Hendricks, percussionist James Doyle, bassist Bill Clark, flutist Dr. Tracy Doyle, and multi-instrumentalist , who lent a hand playing drums and mandolin respectively in multiple musical pieces.
According to the band, the album “represents both a rejoining of individual pathways taken down three lifetimes of music and at the same time an honoring of a common musical heritage.”
The concert followed a dedication of the Adams State Music Buildings recently finished studio facility, the  “Richmond Recording Studio,” in honor of Edward Richmond.  The dedication allowed guests to tour the exciting new studio.
Each of the brothers, natives of Alamosa, have their own respective lives, but were able to break away from their busy schedules to put this all together.  Jim began playing in local bands while attending Alamosa High School, Jim is currently playing around Texas with the popular band Three Fools on Three Stools.  The eldest of these three brothers now teaches high school physics in North Richland Hills, Texas.
Like his older brother, Jim, Don Richmond also began playing in bands around Alamosa while still in high school and later played in the locally popular band Tumbleweed from 1973-1990.  During the show, Don referenced that time in his life, jokingly saying “if you remember Tumbleweed, you must not have been there.”  He is now a solo artist and has released a few albums including 2002’s “No Man’s Land” and 2011’s “Like Lazarus” both of which were released through his own label “Howling Dog Records.”
Ed Richmond chose not to follow the path of music professionally, working in high-tech manufacturing and computer network administration, but his love of the music was never far away.
It was fitting that the concert took place over ASC’s homecoming weekend, as it was a great homecoming for these talented Alamosa boys.