Richard "Dick" Hieronymus (Born 1931 in Chicago, IL) is a composer, arranger and producer. At 8 years old he had his first piano lesson and at 9 was playing trumpet. By the time he was 17 years old in 1947, Dick had his own 10 piece swing band using the stage name Gene Richards. Right after graduating from high school in 1949, he joined the Jay Jaumotte Territory Band in Omaha, Nebraska. One year later he took music arranging classes at Roy C.