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 76-100 of 101 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 39697 | 10-in. | 7/11/1935 | You're so darn charming | Babs and her Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 39698 | 10-in. | 7/11/1935 | My very good friend the milkman | Babs and her Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 39699 | 10-in. | 7/11/1935 | Double trouble | Babs and her Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60194 | 10-in. | 12/4/1935 | When a great love comes along | Babs and her Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60195 | 10-in. | 12/4/1935 | Yankee Doodle never went to | Babs and her Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60196 | 10-in. | 12/4/1935 | No other one | Babs and her Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60197 | 10-in. | 12/4/1935 | A little bit independent | Babs and her Brothers | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60302 | 10-in. | 1/6/1936 | I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter | Boswell Sisters | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60303 | 10-in. | 1/6/1936 | The music goes 'round and around | Boswell Sisters | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60463 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | Let yourself go | Boswell Sisters | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 60464 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | I'm putting all my eggs in one basket | Boswell Sisters | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62058 | 10-in. | 3/22/1937 | Peg o' my heart | Glenn Miller Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62059 | 10-in. | 3/22/1937 | Wistful and blue | Glenn Miller Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62060 | 10-in. | 3/22/1937 | How am I to know? | Glenn Miller Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62061 | 10-in. | 3/22/1937 | Anytime, anyday, anywhere | Glenn Miller Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62062 | 10-in. | 3/22/1937 | Moonlight Bay | Glenn Miller Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | 62063 | 10-in. | 3/22/1937 | I'm sittin' on top of the world | Glenn Miller Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
Decca | L 8386 | 5/6/1955 | What can I say after I say I'm sorry | Peggy Lee | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 8387 | 5/6/1955 | I'm gonna meet my sweetie now | Peggy Lee | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 8388 | 5/6/1955 | Oh didn't he ramble | Peggy Lee | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 8389 | 5/6/1955 | Sugar (That sugar baby of mine) | Peggy Lee | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 8390 | 5/6/1955 | Somebody loves me | Peggy Lee | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 8398 | 5/10/1955 | I never knew | Peggy Lee | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 8399 | 5/10/1955 | Bye bye blackbird | Peggy Lee | instrumentalist, guitar | |||
Decca | L 8400 | 5/10/1955 | He needs me | Peggy Lee | 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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