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It was with deep regret that his many admirers heard of the death of Richard Watson, the famous bass singer, at the age of sixty-five in his native Adelaide on 2nd August, 1968.
Richard Watson was trained in Adelaide and at the Royal College of Music. He made his debut at Covent Garden and appeared there in the 1929 season. He returned in 1937 and 1938, but in the meanwhile he caught the public eye in various other capacities, notably in the tour of his own country in Gilbert and Sullivan parts, "Lilac Time", and "The Chocolate Soldier".
In August 1932 he began his first association with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, which lasted two years. Despite his experience at the 'Garden', Richard Watson usually had to be content with secondary roles such as 'The Notary' (The Sorcerer), Old Adam, and The Lieutenant, although he played the appropriate bass leads in "lolanthe" and "Princess Ida", for Sydney Granville was in the midst of his long occupancy of the 'Fred Billington' roles. Nevertheless he made an official recording as King Hildebrand.
When he returned in September 1947 for a four-year term with the Company, his full opportunities were still restricted, as the faithful Richard Walker had only recently succeeded at last to Sydney Granville's room, and Richard Watson had to wait until the following August for the succession.
In all he played in every one of the twelve operas except "Cox and Box", and in his second period recorded in "Trial by Jury", "The Pirates of Penzance", "The Mikado", "The Gondoliers", "Ruddigore", and "The Yeomen of the Guard" - recordings which added to his prestige.
In the summer of 1951 there was a major exodus. Martyn Green, Ella Halman, Margaret Mitchell, Joan Gillingham (illness), and that patient prince of understudies, Radley Flynn, all left the Company. So did Richard Watson, who went to teach at the University of Saskatchewan until 1955, when he returned to Adelaide to teach at the Elder Conservatorium.
Few would dispute his admirers' claim that he was one of the finest singers of the 'Billington' roles, a splendid and unique example being preserved for us on the 1950 recording of Sir Despard's 'I once was a very abandoned person'.
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