Arizona Music Legend
Walt Richardson's
Birthday Concert
with Hannes Kvaran
Saturday, January 20, 2024, 7:00 PM
$20 general, $22 door, $25 priority seating in first 3 rows
Buy tickets online at ShowTix4U.com
Arizona Music legend Walt Richardson will celebrate his birthday at a special concert at the Old Town Center for the Arts on Saturday, January 20th at 7:00 pm. Recently inducted into the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame, Walt is one of the most endearing, lasting, talented, and influential musicians in Arizona’s history.
Joining Walt for this concert will be long-time friend and guitarist extraordinaire Hannes Kvaran. Hannes has played with Walt since the ‘early days,’ and adds amazing acoustic guitar sounds and vocals.
Walt Richardson performed the opening concert at Old Town Center for the Arts in 2008, and has since played several anniversary concerts for OTCA. “Walt is a great friend, musician and songwriter, but what I notice most, in myself, and with an audience is - he just makes you feel good,” commented co-director William Eaton, “he’s a beautiful soul.”
Richardson was 21 when he migrated to the Phoenix Valley in 1974 and his easy-going nature has endeared thousands of fans who have followed Walt’s career through his solo and band musical career. Back then he planned to pursue a career in biochemistry, but instead found a life-changing inspiration in music.
In 1976 Richardson began playing open mic nights in Tempe, and interacting with other local musicians, a passion that would lead to many future collaborations. His first ‘professional’ gig followed a year later with the formation of the band Driftwood. In the early 80’s Walt started the popular Morning Star Band and began to expand his reggae repertoire, playing a mix of covers and original music.
By the late 90’s Walt’s songwriting began to blossom as he explored themes of love, relationships, injustice, social and political issues. As he continued his solo work, his new group, the Peaceful Warriors, became a sounding board for the advocacy of peace. His music also began to reflect his deepening interest in the mysteries of life and music as a conduit to the spirit. Richardson is quoted as saying, “Music is a very magical form of meditation and prayer. I totally believe that when used in that way, it enhances us. It's a wonderful thing. There is so much you want to share, so much that you want to give . . . in essence, the spirit is saying these things through music.”
Recently, Tempe declared January 18th to be Walt Richardson Day and was inducted into Arizona’s Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame at Tempe Center for the Arts. The event was celebrated with an all-star concert at which he performed as well. Richardson has also been honored by the city of Tempe, as the inaugural individual / musician to have a gold plaque embedded in the sidewalk on Mill Avenue, creating Tempe’s Music Walk.
A concert with Walt Richardson is an intimate, magical journey. As one audience member said recently, “with Walt it’s a feel good experience, he breaks it all down to the basic human emotions of love and compassion.” If you like world music, reggae, folk rock, and a touch of the blues, you won’t want to miss seeing Walt Richardson with Hannes Kvaran, in the Verde Valley’s elegant Old Town Center for the Arts.
Walt Richardson
Hannes Kvaran
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