{{Short description|British guitarist}} {{Distinguish|Richard McNamara (politician)|Richard B. McNamara}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = Richard McNamara, guitarist of Embrace.jpg |caption=McNamara in 2014 | name = Richard McNamara | background = solo_singer | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|10|23|df=y}}| | birth_place = Mytholmroyd, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | genre = Rock, Britpop | occupation = Musician, record producer | instrument = Guitar, vocals, percussion, keyboards | associated_acts = Embrace, One Sided Horse }}

'''Richard McNamara''' (born 23 October 1972 in Mytholmroyd, West Riding of Yorkshire)<ref name="findmypast">{{cite web|url=http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/united-kingdom-records-in-birth-marriage-death-and-parish-records?firstname=richard&lastname=mcnamara&yearofbirth=1972&yearofbirth_offset=0&keywordsplace=yorkshire|title=findmypast.co.uk|publisher=search.findmypast.co.uk|accessdate=12 April 2015}}</ref> is a British musician and record producer, best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist for Embrace. He and his older brother, Danny, grew up in the village of Bailiff Bridge, Brighouse near Halifax. He is the father of singer-songwriter Ellur.<ref name="nme">{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/ellur-at-home-in-my-mind-interview-radar-3921117 |title=Ellur's indie-pop gold seeks out inner peace: "Life's been this thing that I've struggled through, but music's always helped me out of it" |author=Rishi Shah |website=NME.com |publisher=NME |date=7 January 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260107113911/https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/ellur-at-home-in-my-mind-interview-radar-3921117 |archive-date=7 January 2026 |accessdate=27 January 2026 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Life and career== Richard and Danny McNamara attended Hipperholme Grammar School in nearby Hipperholme with their brother Jonathan.<ref name="examiner">{{cite web|url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/died-lead-singer-brighouse-band-4950422|title=I almost died: Lead singer of Brighouse band Embrace Danny McNamara on his mental health struggle – Huddersfield Examiner|date=21 June 2012|publisher=examiner.co.uk|accessdate=12 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="halifaxcourier">{{cite web|url=http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/what-s-on/arts-entertainment/fans-embrace-their-heroes-1-6328147|title=Fans embrace their heroes – Halifax Courier|publisher=halifaxcourier.co.uk|accessdate=12 April 2015}}</ref>

According to Danny, as a child Richard was nicknamed 'Firestarter' as he was fascinated with fire and was always playing with a box of matches.<ref name="thesundaytimes">{{cite web|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/article133852.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421051126/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/article133852.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 April 2014|title=Danny and Richard McNamara &#124; The Sunday Times|publisher=thesundaytimes.co.uk|accessdate=12 April 2015}}</ref>

McNamara was initially the drummer for a thrash metal garage band called Gross Misconduct in his teens. It is believed that Embrace began when his brother barged into a session and started telling him and his bandmates what to do.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|author=Larkin, C.|date=2011|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC|page=2006|accessdate=12 April 2015}}</ref>

Although McNamara has worked with his brother in writing many of the band's songs, he only single-handedly sings a few songs. Most notably "One Big Family" and "Hooligan" which were both issued as singles; also "I Want The World" on the band's début album.

In 2018, McNamara (alongside Embrace members, Steve Firth, Mike Heaton and Mickey Dale) collaborated with Preston-based songwriter, Mark Whiteside [Evil Blizzard] under Whiteside's pre-existing solo project, One Sided Horse. An album ["Between Light and Space"] was recorded and produced by Mickey Dale and released on UK Independent Label, Butterfly Effect.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/leisure/14744699.embrace-members-back-evil-blizzard-frontman-pub-gig/|title='Lancashire Telegraph'|website=www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk |date=15 September 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=Artists {{!}} Butterfly Effect | url=https://butterflyeffect1.bandcamp.com/ | access-date=2025-07-03 | website=butterflyeffect1.bandcamp.com}}</ref>

== Production discography ==

{| class="wikitable" |- !Artist !Title !Credit !Year |- |Thomas Tantrum |''Thomas Tantrum'' |Producer, mixed by |2008 |- |Embrace |''Embrace'' |Producer, engineer, mixed by |2014 |- |Evil Blizzard |''Everybody Come to Church'' |Producer, mixed by |2015 |- |Starsailor |''All This Life'' |Producer, engineer, mixed by |2017 |- |Embrace |''Love Is a Basic Need'' |Producer, engineer |2018 |- |Embrace |''How to Be a Person Like Other People'' |Producer, engineer |2022 |- |EEVAH |''I Didn't See It Coming'' |Producer |2025 |- |The Rolling People |''Outlier'' |Producer |2026 |}

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == *{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/embracingembrace/richard.html |title=WebCite query result |publisher=webcitation.org |accessdate=12 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240524145918/https://www.webcitation.org/5knlbZolU?url=http://www.geocities.com/embracingembrace/richard.html |archivedate=24 May 2024 }}

{{Embrace}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McNamara, Richard}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:English rock guitarists Category:English male guitarists Category:English male songwriters Category:People from Mytholmroyd Category:People from Brighouse Category:People educated at Hipperholme Grammar School Category:21st-century English singers Category:21st-century British guitarists Category:Musicians from West Yorkshire Category:21st-century English male singers

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