Obituary of Jack Arnold Richardson

RICHARDSON, Jack Arnold - The family of Jack Richardson is saddened to announce the passing of their husband, father and grandfather on Friday, May 13. Married for over 60 years to his beloved Shirley, Jack is also survived by his children Brook, Tracy, Garth and Kelly. Sadly he and Shirley lost their eldest son Craig in 2009. Jack loved his grandchildren Jesse, Ben, Jazzmin, Lauren, Samantha, Leslie, Paul, Devon and Shaun. He is also survived by his sister Shirley and nephews Mark, Daryl, Scott and Kevin. Jack was a legendary figure in the Canadian and international music industry and in a variety of roles. He started as a double bass player playing with Toronto orchestras in the 1940's. In 1960 he joined McCann Erickson as an account executive for radio and television where he worked with Canadian artists such as Bobby Curtola, David Clayton-Thomas, Chilliwack, and of course, the Guess Who. When Jack left to co-found the music production company, Nimbus 9 Productions, the first act he signed was the Guess Who. Together, Jack and the band stormed up the charts with one hit after another. Jack worked with a diverse who's who in the music business including Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, Michael Boltin, Badfinger, Max Webster, Rough Trade, Canadian Brass and The Irish Rovers. In 1985, Jack entered the world of academia without leaving his music legacy. Jack began teaching the next generation of great record producers as an educator in the department of Music Industry Arts at London's Fanshawe College. He remained there until his retirement in 2007 but continued to work on independent projects. Jack won many awards over the course of his long and colourful career. He received 38 gold and platinum awards for his work as a producer. He won the Juno's Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award and in 2002, the Juno for Producer of the Year was renamed in his honour. Jack was a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and a winner of SOCAN's special achievement award. He was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2003. The family would like to deeply thank Dr. David Massel and the dedicated medical team at University Hospital's London Health Sciences Centre, and the wonderful staff and residents at Amica. Funeral services will be held at St Paul's Cathedral, 472 Richmond Street, London on Thursday, May 19 at 2 p.m. If you wish to honour Jack's memory and help the music live on, you can make a donation to the annual Jack Richardson Music Awards (www.jrma.ca), which are given to support local artists in London.