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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 1-25 of 101 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-78262 10-in. 10/20/1933 Not for all the rice in China Roy Bargy ; Ramona Piano duet, with female vocal solo and instrumental trio instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-78264 10-in. 10/20/1933 I found a new way to go to town Roy Bargy ; Ramona Piano duet, with female vocal solo and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-78265 10-in. 10/20/1933 I'm no angel Roy Bargy ; Ramona Piano duet, with female vocal solo and instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-89794 10-in. 5/13/1935 Nothin' but the blues Gene Gifford Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-89795 10-in. 5/13/1935 New Orleans twist Gene Gifford Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-89796 10-in. 5/13/1935 Squareface Gene Gifford Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with talk instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-89797 10-in. 5/13/1935 Dizzy glide Gene Gifford Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-03032 10-in. 11/10/1936 An apple a day Barry McKinley ; Ruby Newman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-03033 10-in. 11/10/1936 One never knows—does one? Barry McKinley ; Ruby Newman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-03034 10-in. 11/10/1936 Down in the depths Florence Case ; Ruby Newman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-03035 10-in. 11/10/1936 What a dummy love has made of me Florence Case ; Ruby Newman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-06581 10-in. 3/31/1937 A jam session at Victor (Honeysuckle rose) Bunny Berigan ; Tommy Dorsey ; Dick McDonough ; Fats Waller ; George Wettling Jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-06582 10-in. 3/31/1937 A jam session at Victor (Blues-fox trot) Bunny Berigan ; Tommy Dorsey ; Dick McDonough ; Fats Waller ; George Wettling Jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-07785 10-in. 4/13/1937 Carelessly Kay Thompson Orchestra ; Rhythm Singers Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-07786 10-in. 4/13/1937 There's a lull in my life Kay Thompson Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-07787 10-in. 4/13/1937 It had to be you Kay Thompson Orchestra ; Rhythm Singers Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and female vocal ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-07788 10-in. 4/13/1937 Exactly like you Kay Thompson Orchestra ; Rhythm Singers Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal ensemble instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-011080 10-in. 7/9/1937 Caravan Southern Rhythm Kings Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-011081 10-in. 7/9/1937 So many memories Musical Musketeers ; Jimmy Ray Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-011082 10-in. 7/9/1937 The song of the Marines (We're shovin' right off again) Musical Musketeers ; Jimmy Ray Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-011083 10-in. 7/9/1937 Josephine Southern Rhythm Kings Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-011084 10-in. 7/9/1937 My cabin of dreams Musical Musketeers ; Jimmy Ray Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-011085 10-in. 7/9/1937 The dream in my heart Musical Musketeers ; Jimmy Ray Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-011086 10-in. 7/9/1937 Shame on you Jimmy Ray Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Victor BS-011087 10-in. 7/9/1937 Sticks and stones (Will break my heart) Jimmy Ray Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 1-25 of 101 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "McDonough, Dick," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103520.

McDonough, Dick. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103520.

"McDonough, Dick." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103520

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