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

You have hand it to the Rolling Stones. Besides the enormous output of quality tunes over decades of their existence. The Stones has proven they know how to make a lot of money and exceptionally manage their brand.

It started in the eighties when the Stones hooked up with concert promoter Michael Cohl and forever changed the business of concert touring. It was The Rolling Stones who figured out working and living in countries other than England would give the band much better tax breaks. Coincidentally, a lesson first learned while fleeing England for France to begin the recording of Exile On Main St. Canada has been another country benefiting from The Rolling Stones using it as a preferred destination to rehearse for upcoming concert tours.

But the Rolling Stones recently found a new way to rake in bundles of dough. And that’s with the reissue of their seminal seventies masterpiece record – Exile On Main Street.

With more than 100,000 units moved during it’s first week of sales during late May, 2010 – The Rolling Stones became the first band to have a studio album re-enter the charts at #1. (Exile also debuted at #1 on the record charts upon it’s initial release in 1972.)

Of course, it helped the band stumbled upon a lot of unused material from the original Exile recording sessions in France and U.S. Songs, as guitarist Keith Richards recently talked about, the band was so wasted they just ‘kinda forgot about’ at the time.

But the Rolling Stones don’t drop just a simple new reissue CD. They understand in these days of digital downloading the band wants to see maximum revenue for it’s brand realized. The Stones want more than just .99 cents a song (but they’ll be happy to take that too.)

When The Rolling Stones decided to reissue their Exile On Main Street record – you could certainly say they made sure to extend the Exile brand across a maximum number of product offerings.

New products offered by the Rolling Stones related to recent Exile On Main Street album reissue.
- 7″ vinyl limited edition (7,500) of Plunder My Soul (S/O)
- Original recording remastered on CD ($10)
- Deluxe package of original recording & bonus songs on CD ($24)
- Remastered and reissued 180 gram double vinyl ($30)
- Rarities edition CD recording & T-shirt ($40)
- Super deluxe edition of original on CD, LP, & book ($139)
- Exile On Main St. DVD documentary ($30)

The Rolling Stones dropped a new single in 2010 – and it’s not a bad one. Might have something to do with the fact it was actually recorded 38 years earlier for the Exile On Main Street album sessions. Plundered My Soul was either lost or just forgotten about according to The Stones (and considering this was ’72 and the prime of their partying years, “forgotten about” isn’t too surprising.)

But it has been re-discovered and issued as a single in celebration of Record Store Day on April 17th, 2010. As with most of the limited edition vinyl issued for RSD, The Stones single quickly sold-out.

But HoundsTV did get a couple. The 7″ vinyl is individually numbered of 7,500. B side is “All Down The Line.”

ITEM: Rolling Stones 7″ single “Plundered My Soul” (NEW – Numbered #5135 or #1118)
PRICE: $25.00 CAN + $7.50 (S&H in North America)
RELEASED: For Record Store Day April 17th, 2010

Contact us for any questions about this item and/or shipping charges outside North America. Additional Terms & Policies. Satisfaction GUARANTEED.