KAPA‘A — Friends are rallying around Lee Richards, who lost most of his possessions in a Kapahi house fire during the early morning of Dec. 1. While no one was seriously injured due to the blaze, Richards was medevaced to
KAPA‘A — Friends are rallying around Lee Richards, who lost most of his possessions in a Kapahi house fire during the early morning of Dec. 1. While no one was seriously injured due to the blaze, Richards was medevaced to O‘ahu, where he spent 10 days completing respiratory therapy.
“I remember someone driving me to Wilcox Hospital, then the next thing I know my wife’s face is two or three inches away from my face looking at me,” Richards said. “But now I’m a million percent better. Every day I feel better.”
Firefighters believe the blaze was started by a lit candle, Richards said. The musician was asleep when the fire broke out, and credits his roommate’s dog for saving him.
“The dog wanted in to my room,” Richards said. “He knew something wasn’t right.”
When Richards stirred, he said he saw a small fire in the corner of his room. He tried to put out the blaze with a damp towel, but it quickly spread to the rest of his quarters.
In a moment of desperation, Richards grabbed his most prized possession — an 1850s French violin he nicknamed Frenchy.
“I looked down and Frenchy was on fire,” Richards said. “I don’t know if I dropped it out of reflex or if it fell apart in my hands. It’s irreplaceable. I picked it up and it just fell apart in my hands.”
Ship Store Gallery in Kapa‘a will be donating a portion of each sale during First Saturday Night with the Shoppes at Old Kapa‘a Town to help purchase a violin for Richards. The gallery also carries Richards’ album, “Another Day in Paradise.”
“The proceeds will help Lee buy a new violin” said Tammi Andersland, owner of Ship Store Gallery in Kapa‘a.
“But what I really want is an old violin,” Richards said as he began describing Frenchy, a meticulously carved maple and spruce top violin with a tiger-inspired print etched on the back.
“It was the most beautiful violin I have ever seen,” Richards said about the instrument he acquired more than 20 years ago when he played in the Alabama Symphony. “I would sit and look at it for hours.”
In addition to Frenchy, more than a dozen of Richards’ instruments fell victim to the blaze. Keyboards were melted, his mellotron was damaged by ash and his sitar had its paint ruined.
Luckily, Richards had a violin in the shop and a viola stored at St. Catherine school that were spared from the fire.
Currently, he is living with friends until he finds a new home. He has been playing at various venues around the island, performing cover songs and tracks from his CD “Another Day in Paradise,” which features Richards on electric and acoustic violins, viola, cello, guitars, piano, synthesizers and mellotrons.
“When Lee is playing, people watch with their mouths open,” Andersland said. “His music is magical. No one can play an instrument like him. That’s the scariest thing, we almost lost him.”
Like many accomplished musicians, Richards’ love for the violin started early.
“I saw some guy (play the violin) on TV,” Richards said. “I must have been three, and I would rub sticks together.”
Richards’ father was a pilot in the Air Force, and while living in Japan, he met a violin teacher that inspired him to continue playing music.
“By the time I was in the second grade, I was playing in a high school orchestra,” Richards said.
On an Air Force salary, Richards’ couldn’t afford lessons, so he would watch his sister play and use her as his accompanist.
His passion for teaching was ignited more than two decades ago while he was a musician in the Alabama Symphony.
“A woman from the education department asked if anyone would be interested in teaching,” Richards said. “And just because you can play, doesn’t mean you know how to teach.”
Richards volunteered and he was sent to teach at an inner-city school in Birmingham.
“I fell in love with those kids,” Richards said. “They were all so eager to do something with their lives.”
The teaching bug bit him and he has taught consistently for 25 years.
A teacher at St. Catherine School for the last two years, Richards said he was touched when the entire school sent hand-made get well cards to his Honolulu hospital room.
“Every kid in the school wrote me a get well card,” Richards said. “I sat there and read them for hours. I plan on lining the walls of my new studio with the get well cards. That was the sweetest thing ever done for me.”
Richards can be seen playing at various venues on Kaua‘i, including First Saturday Nights in Kapa‘a, Gaylord’s and Sunset Grill with Kevin Wheatley.
The next First Saturday event will be held Feb. 4. Richards’ CD, “Another Day in Paradise,” is available for sale at Ship Store Gallery in Kapa‘a for $10.
• Andrea Frainier, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or afrainier@ thegardenisland.com.
