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About Jack Richardson From musician to advertising agency account executive to music producer to record company founder and CIRPA president and instructor of Music Industry Arts, Jack Richardson has covered the music industry from all angles.
In the 1950’s Jack performed with many of Canada’s most famous orchestras. Mart Kenny, Ellis McCkintock, Art Hallman, Bert Niosi and was a member of the Billy O’Connor show who, with his pet Juliette became a Saturday night institution for CBC television across Canada. Richardson joined the McCann-Erickson Advertising Agency in 1960 where he became the account supervisor for the radio and television side of the Coca-Cola Ltd. account. He was instrumental in the creation and development of the award winning “youth radio” advertising campaign for Coke. The concept involved using current Canadian talent, which was starting to make itself heard. He recorded Bobby Curtola, David Clayton Thomas, J.B. and the Playboys, The Collectors (Chiliwack), Robbie Lane, Jack London and others and of course, The Guess Who, all for Coca-Cola commercials.
In 1968, with Allan Macmillan, Ben McPeek and Peter Clayton and a strong belief in the potential of Canadian talent, he founded Nimbus 9 Productions and signed as their first artist, The Guess Who. In 1972 he designed and built Nimbus 9’s Soundstage Recording Studio, and did the same two years later for the J.A.M.F. disc mastering facility. In 1974/75 Richardson introduced Direct-to-disc audiophile recordings when Nimbus 9 launched the world famous Umbrella Records label.
During this time, Richardson worked as a record producer and took the helm for dozens of albums for a diverse roster of Canadian, American and international acts including: The Guess Who, Alice Cooper, The Boss Brass, Bob Seger, Poco, Christopher Ward, Rough Trade, The Association, Badfinger, The Toronto Chamber Orchestra, The Brecker Brothers, Poppa John Creach, Hagood Hardy and the Canadian Brass.
Of his fourteen albums for The Guess Who alone, 11 were Canadian gold, 5 were Canadian platinum with five gold and three platinum records in the United States. His records with Alice Cooper and Bob Seger also achieved gold and platinum status in Canada and the U.S. In all, Jack Richardson has produced 27 Billboard charted singles and over 20 Billboard charted albums and has received 38 gold and platinum awards.
He was a driving force in the birth of Factor and in the establishment of CIRPA (The Canadian Independent Record Producers Association) and became its first president. He was chair of the industry advisory board for the Music Industry Arts Project at Fanshawe College, London Ontario in the late 1970’s. In 1985 he became the audio production instructor for the MIA program at the college.
In 1986 the CARAS/Juno, Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award was presented to him and he is currently a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. SOCAN presented Richardson with their Special Achievement Award in 1988. In 2002 the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences renamed the Juno Producer of the Year Award as the Jack Richardson Producer of the Year. The pinnacle of his career came in 2003 when Jack Richardson was awarded the Order of Canada.
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