Ann Richards was a better singer that she was often rated, but her career was not as successful. When she was ten years old, she began taking singing lessons and was self-taught at the piano. Richards started singing professionally in San Francisco Bay and briefly worked with Charlie Barnet. Richards was part of Stan Kenton’s 1955 band for a short time. She later married him and he continued to sing during their marriage, which lasted until 1961. When their marriage ended (a breakup that she never really recovered from), Richards recorded a few pleasing and swinging albums on her own for Capitol, Atco and Vee Jay; however, Richards’ life became aimless, and she committed suicide at age 46. from http://www.allmusic.com Editor’s note: Those who knew her well do not believe she committed suicide, they think she was murdered by her estranged husband, William Botts Jr.
