Famous banjoist Dick L. Pepper collapsed and died in a Staines shop on Monday afternoon October 15th. His wife was with him at the time. Mr. Pepper had gone into Staines shopping, having driven up the Thames by launch from his home in Little Prouton, Chertsey.
Son of Will C. Pepper and brother of the internationally-known Harry S. Pepper, Dick had lived in the Staines area since retiring some ten years ago.
Born in Putney on June 24th, 1889 he started to play the banjo at an early age under the guiding hand of his famous father. As a youth he met and played with many famous banjoists. With his father and brother he was associated with the famous concert party "The White Coons" but subsequently devoted his time to writing and producing films. In 1914, he was appearing as a banjo soloist at Ilfracombe whilst writing the film scenarios of Rider Haggard's works.
At the outbreak of World War I, he took his banjo with him into the Flying Corps in which he obtained a commission. When the war ended, he was with the Ministry of Information under Lord Beaverbrook. When Harry S. Pepper was in charge of variety programmes for the B.B.C. and was planning the "Kentucky Minstrels" for broadcasting (one of the most successful long-running series ever to be broadcast). Dick Pepper signed up Joe Morley who with Tarrant Bailey Jr. and himself formed the original "Banjo Team" for this show.
The "Kentucky Banjo Team," which was always directed by Dick Pepper, featured original banjo solos by Morley, Sheaff, and Fairs in the broadcasts of this popular show. Mr. Pepper combined banjo playing for the B.B.C. with the writing of radio scripts for such highly successful shows as "Hi Gang" and "Happidrome" and he was one of the first artists to appear before B.B.C. television cameras at Alexandra Palace.