Look Who it Was Random video

Dick Wong - You Never Did Believe Me (Did You?)

925 views · Published 4 July 2013 · 2:48 · Indexed 27 October 2026

Channel: Austin Casey · 2013 · Music

Watch on YouTube

Dick Wong & Jack Stout on D&D B-45 1903 from 1948. 
Dick Wong on D&D B-45 1903 from 1948. 
Dick Wong who was billed as the "Chinese Ambassador Of Song" was actually a Japanese-American named Riki Matsufuji. Riki was born in Sacramento California in 1924 to Iuao and Yoshino Matsufuji. Iuano was Japanese and Yoshino was Hawaiian. As an adolescent, he studied at the Speas Conservatory of Music in Sacramento and also at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. During the 1940's and World War II, Matsufuji was interned in the Tule Lake Detention Camp in Newell, CA where he was placed due to his Japanese/American Heritage. During his time, he founded and led the Down Beats Dance Band. As a soloist, he performed as Dick Wong, The Chinese Ambassador of Song. In a billboard review from 1948 (seen in this video) Matsufuji is noted as being a "Chinese-American ex AAF pilot"!!!! Amazing isn't it? I have found a few records of performnces he did in the 40's with various touring "vaudeville" type reviews in Spokane WA, Salt Lake City UT, and Ottowa Canada. Matsufuji sang a set of songs from various countries during these shows. The reviewers seemed to be very fond of his voice. One of his life long dreams was to sing in a full stage opera; he fulfilled his dream in Puccini's Turandot in his late 60's asEmperor Altoum. Later in life Matsufuji moved to Oxford Mississippi and opened a grocery store called "Riki's Foods Grocery Store". In 1977 he registered Matsufuji Enterprises Inc. Matsufuji passed away at the age of 87 in 2011.

More from this channel