Paul Revere

1938 - 2014

Paul Revere
January 7, 1938 - October 4, 2014
Paul Revere, the founder and leader of Paul Revere and the Raiders and an Idaho icon, died October 4, 2014, at his home in Garden Valley following a long battle with cancer with his wife of 34 years, Sydney, and his son, Jamie, at his side. Paul performed with his band almost until the end. While his illness may have limited his mobility, it could never dampen his desire to do what he loved most: Entertain!
Revere was born in Harvard, Nebraska, January 7, 1938, but moved with his family to Idaho as a small child. The son of Lena and August Dick, he grew up in Caldwell, where he made a name for himself at a young age.
He became a barber and realized in the 1950s that the way to bring in customers was to cut hair in the most popular style for teenagers: the ducktail. Bring in customers it did, and by the age of 19 he owned three barber shops and a drive-in restaurant.
Continuing to sharpen his skills as an entrepreneur, he started a rock and roll band to promote his drive-in, little suspecting that the drive-in would be a fleeting experience and the band would become a national phenomenon and a lifelong passion.
Starting at small local venues, first The Downbeats and then Paul Revere and the Raiders went on to become one of the top bands in the Northwest, known for classic rock and roll and acrobatic stage performances. They had their first hit in 1961, with the instrumental "Like Long Hair", with Paul on keyboard. Their version of "Louie Louie" was a regional hit that inspired a then little-known group called the Kingsmen to record what became the national hit. Never one to be without a cogent comment, Revere recalled that, "I got the ball and went 99 yards and the Kingsmen scored the touchdown." Greater success and national fame soon followed.
The band became popular around the time of rock and roll's British Invasion, and Paul Revere and the Raiders (in their iconic Revolutionary War costumes) became America's response. In the mid-1960s, Paul Revere and the Raiders had a string of hit records, starred in three nationwide television shows; "Where the Action Is", "Happening '68", and "Happening '69", all produced by Paul's good friend Dick Clark - and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and other well-known programs. Carson called them "America's number one band". Notable hits include, "Kicks", "Hungry", "Good Thing" and "Indian Reservation".
Revere took a time out from performing in the 1970s, working as a real estate developer in Boise, but response to a People Magazine "Where are they now?" article encouraged him to start a new Raiders band. He and the group performed for decades at venues around the nation and the world. But his home was always Boise, where spent most of his life and was revered by his local fans.
In addition to playing their hits, the Raiders were known and loved for Revere's trademark sense of humor, which was front and center at every performance. "The Last Madman of Rock and Roll" played a keyboard attached to the front of an Edsel that hid a seemingly endless array of props, masterfully orchestrated his fellow band mates in comedic interplay woven with their incredible musical talents, and kept audiences laughing throughout every show. Although he held up his own "Applause" sign as part of his schtick, no one ever needed to be prompted to applaud: the pure joy and fun that every one of his concerts brought had audiences smiling, clapping, and cheering throughout. He tirelessly greeted fans after his shows, signing autographs and albums, and having his photo taken with them; Vietnam war veterans had a special affinity for him and he honored their service at his concerts.
Aside from his music, the great passion of his life was his wife Sydney, whom he married on Valentine's Day, 1980. When a friend recently observed that there was no such thing as a perfect marriage, he replied without hesitation, "Mine is."
In addition to his beloved wife, Paul is also survived by his children, Jodeen and Jamie, and his granddaughter Lily, as well as his sister, Virginia, all of Idaho, and many nieces and nephews. Also counted among Paul's family are Sydney's sister and brother-in-law, Rosemarie and Peter Lorenzo of Hoboken, New Jersey, their children and grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer memorials to an organization that supports innovative brain cancer research at Mayo Clinic, Brains Together for a Cure (P.O. Box 8353, Rochester, MN 55903; http://www.brainstogetherforacure.org).
Funeral services will be at 1:00 pm on Monday, October 13, 2014 at First United Methodist Church, Cathedral of the Rockies, 717 N. 11th St., Boise, ID. Private family burial will follow. A visitation for family and friends will be from 5-8 pm on Sunday, October 12, 2014 at Summers Funeral Homes, 1205 W. Bannock St., Boise, ID. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Paul's memorial webpage at www.summersfuneral.com