Richard Noel Marshall Armitage (12 August 1928 – 17 November 1986)^[1][2] was a talent agent, active in England in the 1950s–1980s.

Armitage was born on 12 August 1928 in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire. He originally planned to become a barrister and attended Eton College and King's College, Cambridge before leaving to work at the family's cake factory in Pontefract.^[1]

Armitage's father was songwriter and music publisher Noel Gay, (born Reginald Moxon Armitage),^[2] Armitage joined his father's publishing business, and took charge when he died in 1954.^[1] Among his clients were Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, David Frost and Stephen Fry.^[3]

In the late 1950s Richard set up Noel Gay Artists (NGA) in order to ensure a supply of performers for his father's compositions.^[2] In the 1960s, NGA's clients included Russ Conway, Peter & Gordon, The Scaffold, Geoff Love, Paul Jones, David Frost, and John Cleese. Producer John Lloyd described him as "the most powerful agent in the country at that time [the late 1970s]".^[3]

In the 1970s The King's Singers, The Swingle Singers, Tony Macaulay, Jake Thackray and Claude François were on the company's books.^[2] His sons Charles and Alex joined the agency in 1972 and 1976 respectively.^[2] Charles had previously worked as a record promotions executive in the United States.^[4]

Armitage and his sons were producers for a revival of his father's popular musical, Me and My Girl which debuted in London in February 1985 and for which Stephen Fry (who was also a client of Armitage) wrote 'the Book'. The production went on to win the Olivier Award for Best Music in 1985.^[5][6]

Armitage married and divorced twice, to Caroline Hay and Gabrielle Lloyd. He had two sons with Hay, Charles and Alex.^[1] Armitage died of a heart attack at his home in Stebbing in 1986.^[7] After his death, his sons carried on managing the business.^[2]