Richard Earl D'Agostin, (November 5, 1936 – February 19, 1993) was an American dancer and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

musician, best known for touring with

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran ( ; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. His songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", " Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in ...

. D'Agostin was a singer, songwriter, pianist, guitarist, and harmonist; and the frontman of Dick D'Agostin & The Swingers.*

Early life

Dick D'Agostin was born on November 5, 1936 in Beloit,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. His parents were Arthur and Marjorie D'Agostin, and his younger brother Larry D'Agostin was born in 1938. In 1952, the family moved to

Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where his father worked as an engineer at

Lockheed Aircraft Lockheed (originally spelled Loughead) may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Lockheed Corporation, a former American aircraft manufacturer * Lockheed Martin, formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta ** Lockheed Mar ...

. His father was also a talented and professional horn player. The two brothers, D'Agostin and Larry grew up in a musically active household, being influenced from

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

music. From an early age, D'Agostin played the piano. He was taught at Goodenough's Music Store from a Mrs. Gardner, and from his maternal grandmother. D'Agostin was also a

blues harmonica The Richter-tuned harmonica, 10-hole harmonica (in Asia) or blues harp (in America), is the most widely known type of harmonica. It is a variety of diatonic harmonica, with ten holes which offer the player 19 notes (10 holes times a draw and a ...

player. In addition to his passion for music, D'Agostin discovered a passion for

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

. He trained as a dancer, becoming an Al Jarvis 1955 teen dance champion. D'Agostin graduated from

John Burroughs High School John Burroughs High School is a public high school located in Burbank, in Los Angeles County, California. It is known for its notable alumni, and being the filming location for many television shows. History The building was built in the 192 ...

in June 1955. In the same year, D'Agostin and his brother Larry met two teen musicians at the Verdugo Recreation Centre in Burbank,

Gene Riggio In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...

and Dave Oster, and formed a lifelong friendship.

Career

Dance and solo career (1955–1958)

D'Agostin and his partner Judi Stein were the 1955 Al Jarvis dance champions and won $1,000 in prize money, topping thousands of competitors, originally performing on Al Jarvis'

KABC-TV KABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship station of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station mai ...

teenage contest shows ''Make Believe Ballroom'' and ''Hi Jinx''. D'Agostin appeared in minor dancing roles in films, ''

Eighteen and Anxious ''Eighteen and Anxious'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Joe Parker and written by Katherine Eunson and Dale Eunson. The film stars William Campbell, Martha Scott, Jackie Loughery, Jim Backus, Ron Hagerthy, and Jackie Coogan. The f ...

'' (1957), and ''

Hot Rod Gang ''Hot Rod Gang'' is a 1958 American teen drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring John Ashley. The working title was ''Hot Rod Rock'' with the film also released under the title ''Fury Unleashed''. American International Pictures released ...

'' (1958), as well as utilising his music abilities for the role of a pianist in '' Earth Vs. the Spider'' (1958). He also was a dance editor and journalist, writing dance columns for two of the first teen magazines, ''Dig'' and '' Modern Teen'' from 1955–58. As a solo artist, D'Agostin released two singles on

Accent Records Accent Records is a Belgian record label started in 1978 by Adelheid and Andreas Glatt, releasing classical music from between 1500 AD and the 20th century, but primarily from the 17th and 18th centuries. Artists having recorded for Accent Reco ...

, "What Gave You The Idea?" b/w "I'm Your Daddy-O" and "Mean Mean Woman" b/w "Come On" from 1956–57.

Dick D'Agostin & The Swingers (1958–1960)

Dick D'Agostin and The Swingers were a

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

band signed to

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In its early years, Dot sp ...

, composed of drummer Gene Riggio, lead guitarist Dave Oster, saxophonist

Paul Kaufman Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo P ...

, bassist Wayne Messick, and rhythm guitarist Larry D'Agostin. The Swingers were founded by disc jockey and manager Earl McDaniel. They released two singles in 1958, "Nancy Lynne" b/w "Afraid to Take a Chance", and "Night Walk" b/w "Give Me You". Their debut song "Nancy Lynne" was a minor hit, with D'Agostin's piano sound being compared to the style of

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

. Dick D'Agostin & The Swingers also had a minor appearance in

Bert I. Gordon Bert Ira Gordon (September 24, 1922 – March 8, 2023) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and visual effects artist. He is best known for screenwriting and producing and/or directing science fiction and horror B-movies such ...

's horror film, '' Earth Vs. the Spider'' (1958), performing as a high school band. In 1958,

formed a backing band for his Canadian tour and were named The Hollywood Swingers, a reference to D'Agostin's band. Dick D'Agostin & The Swingers eventually became Cochran's touring band. In 1959, The Swingers line-up consisted of muti-instrumentalist and pianist D'Agostin, saxophonist Paul Kaufman, rhythm guitarist Larry D'Agostin, drummer Gene Riggio, and pianist

Jim Stivers Jim or JIM may refer to: Names * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy People and horses * Jim, the nickname of Yelkanum Seclamatan (died April 1911), Nat ...

(briefly on bass) following the departure of bassist Connie 'Guybo' Smith from the band. On February 7, 1959, Cochran performed live on ''

Town Hall Party ''Town Hall Party'' is an American country music and rockabilly entertainment program originating in Southern California. It was initially broadcast on radio in 1951 and then on television beginning in 1953. The first radio broadcast was in Autum ...

'' with Dick D'Agostin & The Swingers. Cochran played " C'mon, Everybody", "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You", "Don't Blame It On Me", "

Summertime Blues "Summertime Blues" is a song co-written and recorded by the American rock artist Eddie Cochran. It was written by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on th ...

", "School Days",

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...

's "

Be Honest With Me "Be Honest With Me" was a 1940 song by Gene Autry and Fred Rose (songwriter), Fred Rose. The recording by Autry was one of the big Hillbilly#Music, Hillbilly (Western music (North America), Country and Western) hits of 1941, and was nominated fo ...

", and "Money Honey". There was a brief interview segment on the show, in which D'Agostin and his drummer Gene Riggio were introduced."Town Hall party TV show 1959 starring Eddie Cochran."
''YouTube''. February 7, 1959. Retrieved May 25, 2024. In 1959, The Swingers released their third single "It's You" b/w "I Let You Go", on

Liberty Records Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Alvin Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous rev ...

(Cochran's label). D'Agostin was useful as a multi-instrumentalist, and played piano on the recording of Cochran's song "

Boll Weevil The boll weevil (''Anthonomus grandis'') is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae. The boll weevil feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central Mexico, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19 ...

". D'Agostin also worked as a session musician for other American artists, such as

Freddy Cannon Frederick Anthony Picariello, Jr. (born December 4, 1936), better known by his stage name Freddy Cannon, is an American rock and roll singing, singer. His biggest international hits included "Tallahassee Lassie", "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans", ...

Jan and Dean Jan and Dean were an American rock music, rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf m ...

Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty- ...

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

Johnny Otis Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Greek language, Greek: Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης)); December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was a Greek American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, ...

Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died i ...

, Jack Scott,

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American baritone singer. He released 61 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably the song " You'll Never Find Another Love like Min ...

, and

Big Jay McNeely Cecil James "Big Jay" McNeely (April 29, 1927 – September 16, 2018) was an American R&B saxophonist. Biography Inspired by Illinois Jacquet and Lester Young, McNeely teamed with his older brother Robert McNeely, who played baritone saxophon ...

. He recorded at

Gold Star Studios Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California. In its entire history, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world. Founded by David S. Gold ...

, in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. In mid-1959, D'Agostin received his call-up papers and was enlisted into the U.S. Army. He was stationed at

Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...

, California. After the time spent in the military and the sudden, untimely death of Eddie Cochran, D'Agostin departed from the music scene.

Live performances

* On June 28, 1958, Dick D'Agostin & The Swingers performed at the

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

Drive-in, headlining with Jan and Dean and Diane Maxwell. * On February 7, 1959, The Swingers with Cochran performed live on the ''Town Hall Party'' TV broadcast. * On March 13, 1959, The Swingers with Cochran performed at the Wewoka Civic Centre on Don Wallace's

WKY WKY (930 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, owned by Cumulus Media. It is the oldest radio station in Oklahoma and among the oldest in the nation. WKY airs a sports ...

Teen Hop in

Wewoka Wewoka is a city in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,271 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Seminole County. Founded by a Black Seminole, John Coheia, and Black Seminoles in January 1849, Wewoka is the c ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. * On July 12, 1959, The Swingers with Cochran performed at the Memorial Building in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. * On January 1–3, 1960, Dick D'Agostin & The Swingers performed for the ''20th Show of Stars'' at Hilo Civic Auditorium in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

Later years

Throughout the 1960s, D'Agostin worked as a session musician in the recording studios. He briefly returned to the music scene, becoming a

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

duo with his brother, known as Dick and Larry D'Agostin. They performed around

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

, Los Angeles from 1963–1965. Later in life, D'Agostin worked for 23 years as a social worker and supervising probation officer at the

Los Angeles County Probation Department The Los Angeles County Probation Department provides services for those placed on probation within Los Angeles County, California. Guillermo Viera Rosa is the current chief probation officer. The department is the largest probation department ...

. He worked and operated from the youth detention centre at

Central Juvenile Hall Central Juvenile Hall (also known as Eastlake Juvenile Hall or Central) is a youth detention center in Los Angeles County. Central houses both boys and girls. The Central Juvenile Hall complex was originally established in 1912 as the first juv ...

Personal life

D'Agostin was married to Judith K. Holmes in December 1962, and had two children.

Death

On February 19, 1993, D'Agostin, aged 56, died at the

Kaiser Permanente Hospital Kaiser Permanente (; KP) is an American integrated managed care consortium headquartered in Oakland, California. Founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield, the organization was initially established to p ...

Van Nuys Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1 ...

, California. He suffered from complications with hepatitis.

Filmography

Discography

Singles

Solo

* "What Gave You The Idea?" b/w "I'm Your Daddy-O" (

, November 1956) * "Mean Mean Woman" b/w "Come On" (Accent Records, 1957)

as ''Dick D'Agostin and The Swingers''

* "Nancy Lynne" b/w "Afraid to Take a Chance" (

, June 1958) * "Night Walk" b/w "Give Me You" (Dot Records, November 1958) * "It's You" b/w "I Let You Go" (

, November 1959) * * *

External links

Rockin' Country Style Discography
* *
Dick D'Agostin Forum

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dagostin, Dick American rock musicians American rockabilly musicians American bandleaders 1993 deaths 1936 births 20th-century American musicians