Dick was born the favorite son, (& only) son of Barbara and Johnny Gimble while his Dad was on the road with Bob Wills. He grew up with the beat of swing and the sound of the hottest & sweetest fiddle in the country in his ears.
Getting excited about music during his school years in Waco, Dick began playing bass fiddle with his Dad and rock ‘n roll guitar with his hoodlum high school buddies. He studied music at McLennan College in Waco and then transferred to the University of Texas to play bass in the UT Jazz Ensemble.
Next came a few years in Nashville doing session work and teaching music part time. The seventies were spent recording, teaching and playing music in Austin… and Marilynn having babies. Hating to leave Austin, he accepted an offer to move back to Waco & become a professor of music. Now, very thankful to call Waco home, he continues sharing his knowledge of music and the music business in the Music Industry Careers Program at McLennan College.
Through the years, Dick has played thousands of gigs and recording sessions & been fortunate to record and perform on stage with many of his heroes. First, of course… his Dad, and dates with Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Walt Wilkins, & Floyd Tillman. He’s performed on several episodes of Austin City Limits backing up Charlie Pride, Tom T. Hall, Merle Travis, Chet Atkins and others; 5 times on PBS “Prairie Home Companion” (including a show at the Ryman in Nashville with Allison Kraus) ; even a performance at the Grammy’s in 2008 with Carrie Underwood singing a tribute to Bob Wills.
Dick has become a popular instructor at several music camps each summer. Mark O’Connor, Randy Elmore, Live Oak Fiddle Camp, Dave Alexanders Texas Swing Camp, & the Northwest Strings Camp have all invited him to teach his kind of Guitar and Bass playing.
He continues to play & record for lots of folks in a variety of musical styles, and lives in Central Texas with his one-in-a-lifetime-wife, Marilynn. They have three children of wonder…Jon Richard, Waco’s District Clerk, Jeni Re’ (Franklin), Athletic Trainer and mother of 3, and Emily Ann who carries on the Gimble music tradition playing keys and singing in Austin & coast to coast.
