Born as Joseph Richard Dodd Jr. on October 27, 1945 in Hermosa Beach, California, Dick Dodd cultivated an interest in singing and performing as a young boy.

At the age of nine, Dick became a Mouseketeer on Disney's original Mickey Mouse Club.

In the early 1960s, Dick played drums and sang in some of the earliest and most influential surf rock bands, including the Casuals, the Bel-Airs, and Eddie and the Showmen.

In 1964 Dick became drummer and lead vocalist in the garage rock band the Standells, who scored a huge hit with Dirty Water the next year:

Dirty Water has been covered by countless acts. It also become the official victory song of the Boston Red Sox due to its references to the city, and the band has actually performed the song at several Red Sox games.

In 1968 Dick Dodd left the Standells to pursue a solo career and released a 45 with Little Sister and Lonely Weekends.

He was a member of The Blitz Brothers between 1973-1979, but never gained the same amount of fame or influence as he had with the Standells.