BAND:   The Rich = Richard Del Connor

The Rich power pop punk rock band, was formed in San Diego before the band members moved into a Venice Beach house on Broadway Avenue, September 1978. In 1978 The Rich won the San Diego KPRI Radio Battle of the Bands contest with the song, "The Pauper." Original Venice Beach band members of The Rich were:
     Richard Del Connor - songs, lead vocals, bass
     Dann Linck - electric guitar, backing vocals
     Fred Paul - drums, lead vocals.
The 1979 album, Live in Venice, consisted of:
     Richard Del Connor - songs, lead vocals, bass
     Bill Stewart - drums
     Vinnie Lauria - electric guitar.
The 1986 album, Live at the Batcave, consisted of:
     Richard O'Connor - songs, lead vocals, electric guitar (Richard changed last name to "O'Connor" until 2007.)
     Bruce Candelaria - drums
     Sam Persons - bass
The 1989 album, Live at Madame Wongs, consisted of:
     Richard O'Connor - songs, electric guitar, lead vocals
     Marshall Woodson - drums
     Dan Linck - bass
Additional musicians included:
    Richard Augustine - drums
    John "Jack" Sherman "Dogtar" - guitar
    Mitch Thompson - trombone, electric piano, hammond organ
    Paul Atanasoff - guitar
    Pat Flannery - guitar, backing vocals
    John Merritt - drums
    Scott Hitchings - keyboards, vibraphone
    Manny delaVega - percussion
    Jason Scheff - bass

*NOTE: Some musicians have been forgotten. Sorry.
Please contact me so I can add your name.
The blonde drummer in 1982, the guitarist from Newfoundland, and others... Call me and say, "Hi."

 

 

 

Albums of The Rich = Richard Del Connor

Each album will have several EPKs associated with it for Graphics / One-Sheet / Poem List of Song List

Artist	ALBUM or SINGLE CLICK album title for product page	Release Date	Electronic Press Kit CLICK for EPK
Lotus	album: Bonita -	September 9, 1975	EPK
The Rich	album: Live at Madame Wongs -	1990
The Rich	album: Coyote in a Graveyard Soundtrack -	1989 released 2024	EPK
The Rich	single: "It's Your Shadow" -	1989
The Rich	album: Purgatory -	1988 released:
The Rich	album: Live at the Batcave -	1986 released:
The Rich	album: Live at Music Machine -	1984 released;
The Rich	album: Temptation -	1984	EPK
The Rich	album: Live in Venice -	1980 released 2012	EPK

 

About Shaolin Records
Shaolin Records was launched in 1984, releasing vinyl records and cassette tapes of Kung Fu music from Santa Monica, California. With its' origins in Shaolin Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism, Shaolin Records hopes to 'enlighten and entertain™.'

Media Contact:
Richard Del Connor
Producer, Shaolin Records

www.ShaolinRecords.com

About The Rich
The Rich were formed in 1978 as Richard Del Connor left San Diego with Dann Linck to become one of the first punk rock bands of Los Angeles. The Rich recorded in many of the best L.A. studios with amazing recording engineers until becoming the Coyote in a Graveyard rock opera in 1984 which altered Richard's name to "The Coyote." During the late 1980s the set list included songs from the original 1979 band and the Coyote in a Graveyard soundtrack album. This band was billed as "Coyote Graveyard." In 1992 Richard Del Connor became American Zen, and in 2007 became "The Hippy Coyote," and "Buddha Zhen." While working as a stagehand in Las Vegas, Richard became known as "Kung Fu Cowboy." Jamming on flute with his Vegas reggae musician friends, they named him, "THC The Hippy Coyote." 

About The Rich 

Richard Del Connor was born a 'gifted student.'  

In Elementary School he was on television with Regis Philbin and lecturing other schools.

Although his parents wanted him to be a doctor or an attorney, Richard wanted to be a musician poet singer songwriter. And he enjoyed technical things like cinematography, Shaolin Kung Fu, and became a Journeyman Carpenter of the Carpenter's Union in 1978 when he moved to Los Angeles to remodel the Beach Boys Recording Studio in Santa Monica.

Richard Del Connor "Richard O'Connor" graduated the UCLA Motion Picture Program in 1987 after a "Honeymoon In Hawaii."

In 2023 Shaolin Pictures produced the 2-hour concert of KUNG FU COWBOY AT CLUB COYOTE.

In 2024 American Zen released LEVEL 8 = Memorial Day Album.

In 2025 Kung Fu Cowboy will release debut album SCORPION RESURRETION.