Richard R. Marracino Memorial Music Fund

Richard Marracino was born and raised in southern California and grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a jazz pianist in the United States Army Band during WWII and accompanied famous artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and the Andrew Sisters. At age 9, Richard started lessons on the string bass and by age 11, he earned first chair string bass in the All City Honor Orchestra. His professional career in music began at the age of 13 when he started performing for private parties, playing bass guitar in a rock-n-roll band; he won first place in the school’s talent contest that year.

At Morningside High School, Richard played drums in the MHS Marching Band Drum Corps alongside Ralph Johnson, member and drummer of “Earth, Wind, and Fire.” His musical talent and repertoire grew when he learned to play keyboards during Sophomore year. In 1968, his band was chosen to play at the opening night of the Forum in Inglewood.

As a music major in college, Richard learned to play classical piano and studied improvisation from some of the top music instructors in the area. Throughout the ‘70s he performed in many night clubs with a house band and as a soloist in several piano bars including Tony’s On The Pier in Redondo Beach. He also played the Hammond B3 organ in an eight-piece band called Stronghold at Gazzarri’s On The Strip in Hollywood.

In 2004, Richard recruited his seasoned musician friends, all classmates originally from Inglewood, CA and formed The Boys From The Wood. They played songs from their generation at local restaurants, bars, and private parties. In addition to Richard’s fantastic talents on the piano, he was also a wonderful singer, covering songs from the Beatles, Leon Russell, Billy Joel, and so many more.

Richard was a cancer survivor after nearly 20 years of battling the disease, however, he passed away suddenly at the age of 58. He is survived by his lovely wife Ruth of 26 years, their beautiful daughter Sara, an OCC alumna who inherited her father’s gifts, and his loving sister Linda.

The objective of the Richard F. Marracino Memorial Music Fund is to allow those students with a passion for music to continue their dream.