Dick Hughes

Dick Hughes (1931–2018) was an Australian jazz pianist, singer and journalist.

Hughes earned two ARIA Award nominations for Best Jazz Album, in 1987 for The Last Train For Casablanca Leaves Once In A Blue Moon and in 2010 alongside his daughter Christa Hughes with Twenty First Century Blues. He also contributed a track (with Dick Hughes' Famous Five) to Jazz Live At Soup Plus which was nominated for the same award in 1989.

Hughes was born in Melbourne in 1931, the only son of Richard Hughes, a journalist, and his wife, May Hughes née Bennett. He developed an interest in jazz early in life and became president of the Melbourne University Rhythm Club in 1950. In 1952 he relocated to London for three years where he started working as a journalist, working for ABC, Frank Packer, News Limited and Fairfax community newspapers before retiring in 2014.

Hughes was a pianist and singer and played regularly around Sydney's jazz scene and played in multiple bands such as The Port Jackson Jazz Band and Ray price Quartet before first performing solo in 1973. He formed Dick Hughes' Famous Five and the released an album, Dick Hughes Looks Back & Around, in 1977.

In 1997 Hughes started presenting a jazz show, Speak Easy and Swing Hard, on 2MBS-FM.

Hughes married Fay in 1962 and together they had three daughters, Vashti, Christa and Stephanie.

Discography Albums + List of albums, with selected details Title Details Piano Solos Released: 1973 Format: LP Label: Festival Records (L 25066) Dick Hughes Looks Back & Around Released: 1977 Format: LP Label: 44 Records (6357716) 45 Years In Jazz! Merv Acheson 60th Birthday Concert (as The Dick Hughes' Famous Five with Merv Acheson) Released: 1982 Format: LP Label: 2MBS-FM (MBS JAZZ-1) The Last Train for Casablanca Leaves Once in a Blue Moon Released: 1986 Format: LP, Cassette Label: Larrikin (LRJ176) Twenty First Century Blues (with Christa Hughes) Released: 2010 Format: CD Label: ABC Music (273 1076)

Awards and nominations ARIA Music Awards The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. 1987 The Last Train For Casablanca Leaves Once In A Blue Moon Best Jazz Album

2010 Twenty First Century Blues Best Jazz Album