Blair Richards – a good friend of HoundsTV and one of the best autograph collectors we ever worked with
July 31, 2010 by Richard Budman ·
Rolling Stones Ronnie Wood & Blair Richards, Los Angeles 2006
HoundsTV in the past has posted stories about celebrities and pop culture icons that unfortunately pass away.
Today, HoundsTV is sad to report about another type of legend to us – an icon of the autograph collecting world passed away this month, Blair Richards of Cleveland.
Besides Blair’s love of teaching and practicing the law – Blair was a proficient traveler of the world, visiting well over hundred countries. It was on many of these journey’s that Blair collected the signatures of some of the biggest music stars in the world.
We shared many hounding adventures over the years with Blair. And it’s there HoundsTV will fondly remember the many stories shared with Blair as collectors chit-chat to waste time as you wait for the celebrity encounter. If it was a former staple of the modern music scene touring – anyone from Cheap Trick, Kansas, Supertramp, or Meatloaf – you could be sure Blair would have an interesting story of an autograph encounter with them.
Loving husband of Lena Richards. Loving son of Carole Richards Kusik (nee Kelty) (husband John), and Edward Richards. Dearest brother of Linnea Smith (nee Richards) (husband Stephen), grandson of Greye Richards and Harold (deceased) and Betty and James Kelty (both deceased). Cousin of Shannon and Derek Richards.
Blair Richards from Cleveland is certainly one of the best autograph collectors HoundsTV ever had the pleasure to work with and was taken from his wife, family, friends, and autograph hounding community at far too young of an age.
But we know Blair – and we doubt his passing will stop him from continuing his pursuits of celebrity signatures. So, a note to Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, John Bonham, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Miles Davis, and Stephen Ray Vaughan – Blair is probably going to be finding you with a stack of albums and a sharpie marker in hand real soon.
A memorial service is being held today, July 31st, in Clevelend to remember and celebrate the life of Blair Richards.
Blair getting Mick Jagger to sign a guitar in Toronto, 1999.
Blair and good friend and fellow collector Brad celebrating getting a huge haul of items signed by Roger Waters (ex of Pink Floyd) in Brazil, 2002.
Brad and Blair in Brazil.
“I was in Montreal for the F1 race and got the shock of all collecting shocks when I spotted ex-Beatle George Harrison walking out of a hotel. After getting Harrison to sign at about 7pm, not a minute later I run to a phone and call Blair and tell him I got Harrison. Phone goes dead. Not 12 hours later at 7 am all the way from Ohio, Blair drove through the night and is standing out there to graph Harrison on his guitar as George was leaving his hotel to head to F1 track. Blair got several Harrison signatures that trip to Montreal – that was vintage Blair!” – friend and fellow autograph collector Brad Byrne
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Your tribute to my son, Blair, touched my heart. So many of his friends came to visit him while in the hospital. I was told so many happy tales of Blair’s adventures in autographing. Richard, thanks so much for doing the article.