Richard was born in a small town in Michigan and started on the cornet and trumpet in elementary school. He has performed everything from jazz to rock, classical, soul, and blues with groups in the Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan area, and in and around Toledo, Ohio. 　　 　　Today, Richard lives and performs out of the Washington D.C. area. 　　 　　Richard has been influenced by great trumpeters such as Chet Baker, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, and Chris Botti. 　　 　　Richard has been diagnosed with Amyloidosis, a very rare, progressive, debilitating and fatal blood disorder for which there is currently no cure. 　　 　　He has a warm, intimate, romantic sound that mixes with the lyrical west coast "cool jazz' sound made popular by trumpet great Chet Baker. Richard is quickly becoming a highly sought after trumpeter on the contemporary jazz scene. 　　 　　"Love's Sweet Song" features lush romantic songs by Rodgers & Hart, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, along with original songs by Mr. Harris.