Dick Zimmerman
| Charles Richard “Dick” Zimmerman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 11, 1937 Charleston, West Virginia, US |
| Occupation | Pianist |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Works | Scott Joplin: His Complete Works The Collector’s History of Ragtime |
| Spouse(s) | Diane Zimmerman |
| Awards | Scott Joplin Award International Ragtime-Jasstime Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award PCAM contest trophies for originality (1956-63) 1968 Academy of Magical Arts - Best Lecturer 1986 Academy of Magical Arts - Award of Merit |
Richard “Dick” Zimmerman (born August 11, 1937) is a ragtime performer, historian, author and producer. He is regarded as being one of the key figures responsible for the worldwide revival of ragtime. Zimmerman is the only pianist to have recorded the complete works of Scott Joplin and in 1987 was awarded the first place prize “Champion Ragtime Performer of the World”. Zimmerman was technical advisor for the films Scott Joplin and Scott Joplin, King of Ragtime Composers. He is a founder of the "Maple Leaf Club", and is the editor of its publication, "The Rag Times". Zimmerman is also a professional magician. He has contributed many signature illusions to the field of magic and has acted as consultant for such magicians as David Copperfield.
Zimmerman was trained as a child in classical music, but quickly abandoned his studies to pursue his love for ragtime when his magic teacher played a honky-tonk record by "one of the great American composers, Scott Joplin."
In 1956 he enrolled at Stanford University where he received degrees in civil and mechanical engineering. Zimmerman later went on to design games for Mattel, Inc. As a freshman, a classmate introduced him to the rags of Scott Joplin. But it wasn’t until 1973, when the movie The Sting began the revival of ragtime with a musical score by Marvin Hamlisch, which adapted the original rags of Scott Joplin, that Zimmerman turned his attention to performing and recording. In 1974, he released the five-LP collection ‘’Scott Joplin: His Complete Works’’ on the Murray Hill Records label.
In 1967 Zimmerman, along with Dave Bourne, Albert Huerta, Chuck McClure, and Bill Mitchell, founded the ‘’Maple Leaf Club’’, for which he edited its newsletter, "The Rag Times". In 1998 the ‘’Maple Leaf Club’’ merged with the ‘’Rose Leaf Club’’.
As a producer, Zimmerman created the ragtime concert series ‘’Where It Was!’’ in Los Angeles. The venue featured ragtime stars from both the past and present, including such legends as pianist and composer Eubie Blake, who once said of Zimmerman: "[Dick] is a real ragtime pianist, and he knows more about its history than I do!"
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