Dick McDonough
Richard Tobin McDonough (July 30, 1904 – May 25, 1938) was an American jazz guitarist and banjoist. Perhaps best remembered for his duets with fellow guitarist Carl Kress, McDonough appeared on numerous record sessions and radio broadcasts throughout the 1920s and 1930s. McDonough began playing banjo and mandolin in high school. An athlete, he initially played left-handed because, according to McDonough, that was how he held his hockey stick. At Georgetown University, he performed professionally at weekend dances and two years later started a band. He attended Columbia Law School after college and while there played with bands in New York City. McDonough played with Red Nichols in 1927 as a banjoist, and soon after played with Paul Whiteman. He began studying the guitar and eventually was in demand for session work, recording with The Dorsey Brothers, Red Nichols, and Miff Mole. In the 1930s, he performed in a duo with jazz guitarist Carl Kress and cut several sessions with an orchestra under his own name, in addition to backing many other recording artists. Other credits include session work with Mildred Bailey, Smith Ballew, The Boswell Sisters, Rube Bloom, Chick Bullock, The Charleston Chasers, Cliff Edwards, Gene Gifford, Benny Goodman, Adelaide Hall, Annette Hanshaw, Billie Holiday, Baby Rose Marie, Glenn Miller, Irving Mills, Red McKenzie, Johnny Mercer, Red Norvo, Fred Rich, Adrian Rollini, Pee Wee Russell, Ben Selvin, Artie Shaw, Frank Signorelli, Jack Teagarden, Claude Thornhill, Frankie Trumbauer, Joe Venuti, Don Voorhees, and Ethel Waters. He played in the Jam Session at Victor with Fats Waller, Bunny Berigan, and George Wettling. McDonough struggled with alcohol abuse during his adult life and died, aged 34, of pneumonia in May 1938 at the LeRoy Sanitarium after an operation. He was survived by his widow, Dorothy Wiggman. |
Birth and Death Data: Born July 30, 1904 (New York City), Died May 25, 1938 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1955
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, banjo, songwriter, leader
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-75 of 101 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunswick | E36468 | 10-in. | 4/14/1931 | Mary Jane | The Melotone Boys | Male vocal duet, with trombone and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Brunswick | E36469 | 10-in. | 4/14/1931 | Boy! Oh! Boy! Oh! Boy! I've got it bad | The Melotone Boys | Male vocal duet, with trombone and guitar | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Edison | 18697 | 10-in. | 8/31/1928 | Hallelujah, I'm a bum | Bob Pierce | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Edison | 18698 | 10-in. | 8/31/1928 | The bum song | Bob Pierce | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Edison | N-403 | 12-in. | 8/31/1928 | Hallelujah! I'm a bum | Bob Pierce | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Edison | N-404 | 12-in. | 8/31/1928 | The bum song | Bob Pierce | Male vocal solo, with guitar | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Vocalion | 19535 | 10-in. | 7/10/1936 | Did I remember? | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Vocalion | 19536 | 10-in. | 7/10/1936 | No regrets | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Vocalion | 19537 | 10-in. | 7/10/1936 | Summertime | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Vocalion | 19538 | 10-in. | 7/10/1936 | Billie's blues (I love my man) | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Vocalion | 19971 | 10-in. | 9/29/1936 | A fine romance | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Vocalion | 19972 | 10-in. | 9/29/1936 | I can't pretend | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Vocalion | 19973 | 10-in. | 9/29/1936 | One, two, button your shoe | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Vocalion | 19974 | 10-in. | 9/29/1936 | Let's call a heart a heart | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Decca | 38301 | 10-in. | 8/14/1934 | Heat wave | The Dorsey Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38302 | 10-in. | 8/14/1934 | By heck | The Dorsey Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38303 | 10-in. | 8/15/1934 | Stop, look and listen | The Dorsey Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38304 | 10-in. | 8/15/1934 | I'm gettin' sentimental over you | The Dorsey Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38307 | 10-in. | 8/15/1934 | Long may we love | The Dorsey Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38308 | 10-in. | 8/15/1934 | Annie's Cousin Fanny | The Dorsey Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38309 | 10-in. | 8/15/1934 | Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jibe | The Dorsey Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38417 | 10-in. | 8/24/1934 | Lord, I give you my children | Johnny Mercer | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38418 | 10-in. | 8/24/1934 | If I could only read your mind | Johnny Mercer | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 38419 | 10-in. | 8/24/1934 | The bathtub ran over again | Johnny Mercer | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 39696 | 10-in. | 7/11/1935 | Let's swing it | Babs and her Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "McDonough, Dick," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103520.
McDonough, Dick. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103520.
"McDonough, Dick." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Dick McDonough
Discogs: Dick McDonough
Allmusic: Dick McDonough
Grove: Dick McDonough
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: McDonough, Dick, 1904-1938 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82028131
Wikidata: Dick McDonough - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1209730
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/59274440
MusicBrainz: Dick McDonough - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/42539222-0b9d-4c5f-828e-17a1bacdc5c8
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