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Richard Farina

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Vocalist

The Resume

    (March 8, 1937-April 30, 1966)
    Born in Brooklyn, New York
    Folksinger and author
    With wife Mimi recorded the albums 'Celebrations for a Grey Day' (1965), 'Reflections in a Crystal Wind' (1966) and 'Memories' (1968)
    Songs included 'Pack Up Your Sorrows,' 'Birmingham Sunday,' 'Reno, Nevada' and 'The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood'
    Wrote the novel 'Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me' (1966) and the poetry and short story collection 'Long Time Coming and a Long Time Gone' (1968)
    Died in a motorcycle accident after a party to jointly celebrate the publication of his novel and Mimi's 21st birthday

Why he might be annoying:

    He shares a name with a 'Top Chef' contestant.
    He claimed that as a teen, he ran guns for Castro and went on a secret mission for the IRA.
    He dropped out of Cornell to get a job as an ad copywriter, which he quit after a year to marry Carolyn Hester, who he divorced after two years.
    Rock critic Greil Marcus said that most of his songs were 'stiff, shallow imitations of Dylan songs.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    In his junior year, he won Cornell's annual undergraduate short story writing competition.
    He was good friends with Thomas Pynchon, who served as best man at his wedding to Mimi and dedicated the novel 'Gravity's Rainbow' to him.
    His novel 'Been Down So Long...' became a classic of the 60s counterculture.
    Critic Ed Ward claimed, 'If Richard had survived that motorcycle accident, he would have easily given Dylan a run for his money.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 8 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying