Richmond, born in Newton, Massachusetts, on July 10, 1939,[1][2] was a founding member of The Hoppers, a school-chum jug band that played the coffeehouse circuit in the Boston area.

[4] Following the breakup of the Kweskin band, Richmond moved to the West coast and became an in-demand accompanist as American rock began to embrace folk and country roots.

[7] Richmond’s washtub and jug stylings provided old-time music flavor on recordings for a large network of artists that included Jackson Browne ("Walking Slow"), Loudon Wainwright III, Maria Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur, Tom Rush, Ry Cooder, Norman Greenbaum, and The Grateful Dead.

[3] Spectacles like Richmond’s – consisting initially of colored non-prescription glass set into old wire-frames, thus shielding the often-stoned performer's eyes from public view – then became common on the San Francisco rock scene where the Jim Kweskin Jug Band was paired in concert with bands such as The Doors and Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Nobody with even the slightest knowledge of jug band music and traditional string-band repertoire can overlook his contributions … which are indeed of historical significance."