Tribute to Jenny Richards on the Second Anniversary of her Passing
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>Jenny was born on March 30, 1959, the firstborn child to Rusty and Amy Richards. Rusty was tenor and lead singer with The Sons of the Pioneers, for twenty-one years. Jenny was lulled to sleep with albums of the Sons, and she heard her daddy sing and play his guitar and she watched him write beautiful songs, and at the age of ten, she dedicated her life to music!
And what a life it was! The music just poured out of her! Jenny started singing professionally when she was seventeen at the Alpine Cafe in Silverado, and several places in Laguna Beach. She had written poetry since she was ten, and she wrote songs that were truly amazing and powerful! We are using one verse of her song, " Live My Life Out Loud," on her head stone. (Which has not been set in place, as yet,)
Jenny was never satisfied with her work. Her singing moved people to tears, and her writing sent chill bumps up and down your spine, but Jenny always strove for better!
She returned to school, as an adult, and graduated with honors from Irvine Valley College, and with a major scholarship to Chapman University. She also graduated with honors from Chapman University. I am pleased to let you know that Irvine Valley College, under the guidance of two professors there, Dr. Jan Wyma and Frank Pangborn, set up a Jenny Richards Scholarship in her name for an outstanding vocalist. There are only two student scholarships at IVC, and
>Jenny's has been endowed. Anyone wishing to donate to this fund is encouraged to do so and we will be most grateful for this. Please send your tax-deductible donation to: IVC FOUNDATION - JENNY RICHARDS SCHOLARSHIP Irvine Valley College Foundation 5500 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618. IVC tax ID# 77-0239916. Letters of receipt sent to all contributors. This is one way we can keep Jenny's memory and musical legacy alive.
Although her life was short, she deeply affected many people, and there are some of us who will never come to terms with her loss. I received a beautiful article written about Jenny by one of her many young students who loved her. Rachel Schatz was assigned a school project to write about someone who had most influenced her life and she wrote about Jenny, and she truly captured Jenny's
loving and caring nature in this article. Rachel wrote, "Jenny was such a great woman and it really reflected in how she acted."
Last week, Another of Jenny's students just starred in her High School play, "Sweet Charity." Becky Sanders, Jenny's beloved niece and student, played Sweet Charity, and her singing and dancing and acting were pure perfection! I could just imagine her proud Auntie hovering in the wings as she belted out her vocals!
Jenny passed from this earth on June 1, 2005. She was diagnosed that February with a rare and fast growing Cancer of an unknown origin. I was her caregiver and I never, not even once, heard her complain about her situation, or rail, "Why me?" She was brave and she fought hard, but she was not able to defeat this scourge. We would take roses to her, in the hospital, and she would give them to her nurses, one rose at a time.
Before Jenny ever knew she had Cancer, she had written a beautiful song to honor Breast Cancer Victims and Survivors, titled, "Live My Life Out Loud." I mentioned before, that a verse from this is what we have selected for her headstone; "I sang to the sky, I took a chance closing my eyes, and as I danced the earth fell away from under my feet, life was so sweet and I was so proud to live my life out loud."
Jenny lived her life out loud and when you listen to the words of her songs you cannot fail to know Jenny. We are so proud of Jenny and so glad that she lived her life out loud.
It was one of our greatest joys to have her in our lives and to share in enjoying her magnificent talent and to have known her heart and the great love that was and is JENNY!
Amy Richards
