Dick Farney

Who was Dick Farney?

Dick Farney was a Brazilian pianist, pop-composer, and "crooner" popular in the 1950s.

Dick Farney, stage name of Farnesio Dutra e Silva was a Brazilian pianist, pop-composer, and "crooner" very popular in Brazil in the late 1940s until 1970s. He began playing piano as a child when he learned classical music with his father while his mother taught him singing. In 1937 he debuted as a singer in "Hora Juvenil radio program at Radio Cruzeiro do Sul in Rio de Janeiro, when he performed the song Deep Purple composed by David Rose, was taken by César Ladeira to Radio Mayrink Veiga, going to present the program "Dick Farney, the Voice and Piano". He formed the group "Os Swing Maniacos", alongside with his brother Cyll Farney, on drums, and accompanied Edu da Gaita Song on recording of "Indian Song" by the Russian composer Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. From 1941 to 1944, was the crooner with the orchestra of Carlos Machado, at the Casino da Urca, at the time when gamblinge was still allowed in Brazil. In 1946 he was invited to go to the United States after meeting arranger Bill Hitchcock and pianist Eddie Duchin at the Copacabana Palace Hotel. Between 1947 and 1948 appeared on many radio programs on NBC, especially as regular singer at the "Milton Berle Show". In 1948 he appeared with success in the nightclub Vogue, in Rio de Janeiro. In 1959 he had his own TV program "Dick Farney Show", aired by TV Record - Channel 7 in São Paulo. In 1960 formed the group "Dick Farney and His Orchestra" and played in many balls. In 1965 he had the "Dick and Betty Show" at the newly opened TV Globo - Channel 4, Rio de Janeiro, presented by himself and Betty Faria. He was owner of the nightclubs "Farney's" and "Farney's Inn", both in São Paulo. Formed a trio with Sabá oin 1971. From 1973 to 1978 he played piano and sang at the nightclub "Chez Régine" in Rio