Richard Lane (1965–2020)

A founding member of iconic WA band The Stems, Richard had a rich and varied career in music that also included The Chevelles, The Rosebuds, The On and Ons and The Painkillers. He was inducted into the WAMi Hall of Fame and received an ARIA Gold Record.

But alongside his life as a musician, education was a calling for Richard. He was a gifted and encouraging teacher who shared his love of music with hundreds of students over many years. Many went on to study at WAAPA, form bands of their own and become part of the local and national music scenes. Some of those former students are now teachers at Penny Lane’s themselves.

Richard’s contribution to WA music extended far beyond the stage. Through his booking agency and record label Idaho Records, his work with X-Press Magazine in the 1990s, and his constant mentoring and encouragement of other musicians, he played an important role in nurturing WA’s grassroots music community.

As music journalist Bob Gordon wrote:

“He was the most sincere, caring musical friend I’ve had in this business. And he always played music. He always championed artists. New and old. He wanted talented people to be given their due. And he worked with them, behind them and sometimes without their knowledge, to boost their stocks. To endeavour to give them a chance to propel.”

Richard and Cathy founded Penny Lane’s Music Workshop in Fremantle in 2009 with a shared belief in the power of music to bring people together. What began with one student grew into the thriving music community it is today.

Richard passed away in 2020, but his influence remains woven through Penny Lane’s — in the way we teach, the musicians we encourage, the opportunities we create and the community that continues to grow around the music.

Today, Cathy and their daughter Penny continue what Cathy and Richard began together, carrying Richard’s musical legacy forward for the next generation.