Boon, Richard 1953

Richard Boon is the former manager of punk band Buzzcocks and ran the independent record label New Hormones. He grew up in Leeds and was friends with original Buzzcocks singer Howard Devoto, then Howard Trafford, at Leeds Grammar School.

Boon studied at Reading University, graduating in 1976. At Reading, he booked bands to play in the Art Department studio, including Sex Pistols in spring 1976. He moved to Manchester after graduation to help Devoto and Buzzcocks guitarist Pete Shelley organise gigs.

Boon became the manager of Buzzcocks, starting the New Hormones label in 1977 to release the band's music. Their "Spiral Scratch" 7-inch EP is widely regarded as a founding milestone of UK Independent music. His involvement with the band included using the pen name Alan Dial to co-write some of the Buzzcocks’ songs. Boon ran the label from 1977 to 1983, releasing music by Diagram Brothers, Dislocation Dance and Ludus, among other acts.

Boon was involved in The Smiths signing to the independent label Rough Trade Records in 1983, having advised the band’s singer Morrissey to approach the label for a distribution deal. Shortly afterwards, Boon joined Rough Trade Records as Production Manager and worked with The Smiths throughout their career. He moved to Rough Trade Distribution in 1988 where he edited its magazine “The Catalogue” and introduced flexidisc giveaways.

After Rough Trade collapsed in 1991, Boon became a librarian with Hackney council in London. He retired in 2018 after 21 years with the library service.

Boon was a columnist with the Stoke Newington free quarterly magazine N16. He is part of the Stoke Newington Literary Festival, where he hosts the Juke Box Fury event and regularly chairs panels at the annual festival.