Richard Manuel

Richard Manuel
Manuel in 1971
Background information
Birth nameRichard George Manuel
Born(1943-04-03)April 3, 1943
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
DiedMarch 4, 1986(1986-03-04) (aged 42)
Winter Park, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • drums
Years active1957–1986
LabelsCapitol
Formerly of

Richard George Manuel (April 3, 1943 – March 4, 1986) was a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as a pianist and one of three lead singers in the Band, for which he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Manuel's singing alternated between a soul-influenced baritone that drew frequent comparisons to Ray Charles and a delicate falsetto. Though The Band had three vocalists sharing lead and harmony parts, Manuel was sometimes seen as the group's primary vocalist.

The first official biography of Richard Manuel by Stephen T. Lewis, Richard Manuel His Life and Music from the Hawks and Bob Dylan to the Band will be released on June 24, 2025 on Schiffer Publishing.