Researching Richard Evans

Previously, he designed the AI for a number of computer games. He was the co-founder, along with Emily Short, of Little Text People, developing real-time multiplayer interactive fiction. Little Text People was acquired by Linden Lab in January 2012 for an undisclosed sum. At EA/Maxis, he was the AI lead on The Sims 3.He designed and implemented the AI for Black & White, for which he received a number of awards.

Evans is an author in the emerging genre of Australian political and parliamentary thriller, with his first fiction novel – Deceit – published in July 2018.

Evans served as a Liberal Party of Australia member in the Australian House of Representatives. He was the member for Cowan from 1993 to 1998.

From the late 1970s, Evans forged a successful career as a corporate executive and has led several national industry associations. He has served as the CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia, Executive Director of the Australian Retailers Association, Executive Director of Clubs Victoria and the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries Australia.

In 2005 he graduated Bachelor of Arts and in 2012 graduated Masters of Creative Writing.

On leaving art school in 1968, he began what was to be a brief career as a fashion illustrator, mainly for teen magazines Petticoat (magazine) and Honey (magazine), published by Fleetway Publications. In 1971 he formed fashion footwear company Daisy Roots Shoes with a showroom in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, London and a retail outlet in Harrods Way In boutique, designing and producing high fashion footwear for the hip, rock generation featuring stacked heel and platform shoes and boots in brightly-coloured leathers and exotic reptile skin. His footwear was favoured by the likes of Elton John, George Harrison, The Osmonds, Roxy Music, Redbone and Irish blues guitarist Rory Gallagher.

He worked as a graphic designer and illustrator in the mid- to late-1970s at seminal design studio Hipgnosis with Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell, designers of many classic rock album covers for Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney and Wings, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Bad Company, 10cc, Genesis, Black Sabbath and many others.

Richard Evans has produced album covers and designs for many artistes including The Doors, Public Image Limited, Pete Townshend, Nik Kershaw, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Godley & Creme, Deep Purple, Roger Daltrey, World Party, Scorpions, King Sunny Adé, Bill Wyman, Louis Armstrong and Van Morrison, plus designs for a diverse range of musical genres. He is mostly known for his design work for The Who, with whom he has worked since 1976, including the cover for Endless Wire (2006), The Who's 50th anniversary tour logo and album The Who Hits 50! (2015), and the super deluxe edition box set of The Who Sell Out (2021).

Richard Evans is the author of The Art of the Album Cover, published by Chartwell Books.

He was educated at Llanelli Boys Grammar Technical School, and studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Bath before studying journalism at City University, London. He trained as a Newspaper reporter on the South Wales Argus before joining Radio West in Bristol, and then joining the BBC. He presented Newsbeat on BBC Radio One and was the news presenter on the Zoë Ball Breakfast show. He reported for the Today Programme, The World at One and PM and presented Summer School and Points of Law on BBC Radio Four and Breakfast, Drive, The Weekend News, The Midday news, Up All Night, After Hours, and Late Night Live on BBC Radio Five Live and until December 2008 the Radio Wales Phone In on BBC Radio Wales.

He lives in London and teaches journalism at City University London.

Evans also played secondary roles in several B-films.

Evans is best remembered for his portrayal of college English professor Paul Hanley in the ABC soap opera Peyton Place, a role which he played in 1965.

He died from cancer on October 2, 2021, at the age of 86.

Richard Evans was a leg-spin and googly bowler who had an exceptional career strike-rate: a wicket every 31.48 deliveries. He had an outstanding season for Border in 1937-38 when he was 23. In the first match, against Western Province, he took 5 for 72 and 4 for 92, and Border won by seven wickets. Then, in Border’s innings victory over Eastern Province he took 4 for 50 and 6 for 40. Later, in the victory over Orange Free State, he took 5 for 27 and 2 for 28, and a week after that, in the loss to Transvaal, he took 2 for 29 and 8 for 64. He finished the season with 36 wickets in five matches off 867 balls at a bowling average of 13.11 and a strike-rate of a wicket every 24.08 balls. Only Norman Gordon of Transvaal, with 39 wickets off 1798 balls, took more wickets in the season.

However, Evans's considerable promise was unfulfilled. He played only two more first-class matches before the Second World War, in which he died at sea off Cape Town, aged 28. He died while serving in the South African Air Force when his Avro Anson stalled and crashed into the sea off Danger Point.