Richard Daigle - Average Joe (2020)

Born in New Orleans, Richard Daigle learned how to peel crawfish and dismantle a blue crab before he lost his baby teeth. After moving away for elementary school in Memphis then middle school in Dallas, Richard ‘s family moved back to Louisiana, in Gretna on the West Bank (the Best bank) where he played guitar in his room and played in high school garage bands with practice sessions outnumbering actual gigs by a substantial margin, although one of his bands indeed rocked the house at the West Jefferson High School talent show. At 11, Richard saw The Beatles as his first live concert in 1966 at Mid South coliseum in Memphis, thanks to the generosity of his late older brother, Lennet, who let his kid brother tag along. From 1970 to 1977, he saw every classic rock band known to man, from the Allman Brothers to ZZ Top, at the legendary Warehouse on Tchoupitoulas Street. His high school rock band and Warehouse concert experiences gave him a music foundation and tinnitus that have both remained with him until this day.

As a retired writer/editor, it made sense he’d become a songwriter, although it took several decades for that sense to actually seep into his cranium. He began writing songs in earnest in his late 50s, drawing inspiration from his favorite artist and one-time dinner companion, John Prine. He worked on his stage skills at The Velvet Note in Alpharetta, GA, a noted jazz club that held a weekly open mic night for any genre of music, even a singer/songwriter with quirky Americana/folk/country songs that were far removed from jazz standards. After moving to Chattanooga in 2019, he continued playing open mics, got some paid gigs (they're actually PAYING me to play?? wow) , and connected with great local musicians who graciously accepted an old music fart. He began and hosted a concert series, Chattanooga Song Circle, promoting local singer/songwriters.

Richard lost his wife, Jan, to cancer in 2014 after 34 years of marriage to a wonderful woman who was far better than he deserved. He has three grown kids, Richie, Bethany and Caroline, who all reside in Chattanooga and seem to have survived their youths and turned out okay. He also has a grandson, Emmett Charles Daigle, who, unbeknownst to him at this time, will one day play guitar and write songs. Of course, he might have a choice in the matter...might.

When he’s not playing guitar or writing a song, Richard can be found on a tennis court or sitting on his back deck watching hummingbirds and getting lost in thought ranging from deep to shallow to completely irrelevant.