Richard Bradley was born in Cleethorpes in 1941 and was educated at De Aston School in Lincolnshire and Nottingham College of Education where he qualified as a teacher specialising in music. He is a former Headteacher and is married to Margo. They have one married son and a granddaughter who live in Yorkshire.

His early musical education began at the age of five when he started piano lessons with his mother who was a well-known piano teacher. His interest in singing began when he became a chorister at his local parish church at the age of seven, followed by his recruitment into the Cleethorpes Boys' Choir. He is still very involved in church musical activities.

His involvement in education led him to serving as the Chairman of the Grimsby Schools Music Association for many years. His role as the conductor of massed choir events became a regular feature of the local music scene. Richard also developed an interest in Musical Festivals and was both Chairman of the Lincoln Area of the British Federation of Music Festivals and also a committee member of the Grimsby Festival.

Richard was very active in the formation of Group 15 of the National Association of Choirs and has regularly conducted massed choirs of the group at such venues as Lincoln Cathedral, The Embassy Centre Skegness and in Grimsby. He also serves as the current Chairman of the National Association of Choirs.

Richard joined the Orpheus Male Voice Choir as a first tenor in 1966 and has been its musical director since 1981. Under his musical direction the choir has had many festival successes and taken part in concerts in various locations in the British Isles as well as Holland, Germany, Sweden and France.