Richard Manuel was a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who helped to shape the landscape of popular music in the 1960s and 1970s through his work with The Band.
The group got their start touring the Canadian circuit as The Hawks, in support of rockabilly legend Ronnie Hawkins. Their musical abilities and ambitions quickly surpassed those of their leader, however, and they soon set about forging their own path.
But they would find themselves embarking upon yet another detour, this time backing Bob Dylan during his first electric tour during which audiences routinely filled venues to voice their displeasure, stemming from the icon’s departure from the folk aesthetic which had previously defined his work.
Following Dylan’s 1966 motorcycle accident and subsequent retreat from the public eye as part of his recovery, the group took up the moniker of The Band and got to work on their own project. This project would ultimately become Music from Big Pink, which upon its release in 1968, would heavily influence the work of everyone from The Beatles to Bruce Springsteen.
Eric Clapton famously disbanded the blues-based supergroup Cream to venture to The Band’s Woodstock residence in hopes of becoming a member himself. While Clapton never did request to join the fold, he did form a relationship with the group, becoming particularly close with singer/pianist Richard Manuel. “He [Richard] was the true light of The Band,” Clapton would later remark of the singer, with whom he maintained a close bond throughout the 1970s.
Manuel was invaluable in the execution of much of the group’s most beloved material, including Music from Big Pink, on which he boasts four writing credits. His compositional instincts made a significant impact on the album, and much of his best songwriting can be heard throughout.
Manuel’s supreme vocal abilities were unmatched, and he could glide into a staggeringly high falsetto with ease, while also possessing a gritty baritone that brought to mind his hero, Ray Charles. Along with his dexterity on the keys, Manuel would frequently be positioned behind the drum kit when drummer Levon Helm shifted to mandolin for songs such as “Rag Mama Rag.” The extraordinary versatility of The Band was just one element of what made them such an effective musical outfit.
While Manuel’s songwriting would make fewer appearances on studio albums as time went on, he continued lending his considerable abilities to the group’s recordings and live performances. Levon Helm would eventually reveal that, within a band characterized by the supreme vocal abilities of several of its members, the group always looked at Manuel as the lead singer of the lineup.
Manuel tragically took his own life on this day 36 years ago, and while many of his bandmates have since joined him in death, their work endures as a testament to the power of camaraderie, and of the music to which they lived their lives in service.
Manuel’s incredible music and sensitive demeanor have endeared him in the eyes of legions of listeners and admirers over the decades. On this day, we celebrate the life and music of one of the brightest lights to shine in the musical world.