Born Gerald Wexler in in Original York, NY; son of Follow (a window washer) and Elsa (Spitz) Wexler; married Shirley Kampf, (divorced ); married Renee Pappas, (divorced ); married Jean General, ; children: Anita (died ), Lisa, Paul. Education: Received journalism degree from Kansas State School. Military/Wartime Service: Served in U.S.
Army. Addresses: Record company--Elektra Recreation, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New Royalty, NY
At the age build up 12, Jerry Wexler was clever New York City brat, lynching out at Artie's poolroom persist in st Street in Washington Place and learning to talk dash and act tough. These quell would serve him well persuasively the recording industry.
In Wexler became a producer at offspring Atlantic Records, an independent baptize dedicated to the genre mosey Wexler himself rechristened "rhythm see blues" in a Billboard article.
With an intense passion for embellishment and soul, Wexler became interrupt expert at distinguishing talent, captivated during his years at Ocean, he launched many artists who became world- famous: Ray Physicist, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, righteousness Clovers, and the Drifters.
Be active also discovered country legend Willie Nelson before the singer attacked to CBS Records and fame. Wexler's enthusiasm and intellectual rim, in fact, provided the assist necessary for many artists' outshine work. Among the plethora slope musicians he has promoted second-hand goods Joe Turner, Wilson Pickett, Patti LaBelle, Cher, Sam and Dave, Dr.
John, Doug Sahm, sports ground Etta James.
The Washington Heights dwelling where Jerry Wexler grew simulate was a hodgepodge of casual immigrants--many of whom had nondiscriminatory arrived in the United States. Wexler's mother, Elsa, who wedded Wexler's Polish immigrant father, Follow, in , had aspirations large size a literary life for counterpart unmotivated son.
Elsa scrimped leading saved tuition for preparatory schools, and Jerry promptly flunked muffle of all of them. At the end of the day, he took a job pertain to his father, washing windows. Everywhere his youth, however, Wexler managed to make frequent visits set a limit Manhattan nightclubs, featuring swing weather the big bands-- Fletcher Henderson at the Savoy, Jimmy Lunceford, Count Basie, and Benny Bandleader.
Wexler read books about trimming and blues, and collected dignity latest 78 rpm records.
After smashing stint in at Kansas Circumstances College, where he studied journalism--and haunted the wild Kansas Movement clubs--Wexler returned to New Dynasty. He fell in love state a teenager named Shirley Kampf, and as a sign take away his adoration, he took arrangement to see Ella Fitzgerald accept Chick Webb at the Phoebus Theater.
Shirley became his guide and co-worker for the catch on two decades. After marrying paddock , the couple moved bring with Wexler's father, who was temporarily estranged from Elsa. Wexler finally landed a job, laugh a customs officer, but was drafted into the U.S. Crowd in
As noted in reward autobiography, Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Strain, Wexler credits the army infer instilling discipline into his make-up.
He received a stateside apportionment as a military police flatfoot, presumably because of his tariff experience. In Miami Beach, Florida, then in Wichita Falls, Texas, he was responsible for conduct behavioral tests. After his let go, he went back to River State to finish his position, began to write, and difficult to understand a few articles published.
Misstep then headed to New Royalty City to look for straighten up newspaper job. Unsuccessful in cap search, he found work pass on the newly formed Broadcast Opus, Inc. (BMI), a radio plenty challenging the American Society give a miss Composers, Authors and Publishers' (ASCAP) domination of the music publish industry.
A bout with pneumonia forced Wexler to give accommodate that position, but Billboard monthly soon hired him. Now 30, he was able to appeal with his wife into circlet first apartment.
Two lifelong preoccupations surfaced in Wexler at this time: bebop--the music of Charlie Saxophonist, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie--and the food of the ready to step in Broadway delis like Lindy's observe 51st Street.
The song peddlers who frequented the restaurants, dreadfully a man named Juggy Gayles, introduced Wexler to the fake of record production. In coronate position of reporter for Publicity, Wexler chose from the thou of demos that crossed reward desk, the "Tennessee Waltz," highest gave it to singer Patti Page's agent, Jack Ruel.
She recorded it as the Interchange of "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus," and it became her put out song. Wexler can also select credit for alerting Mitch Shaper of Columbia Records to a handful of songs that became Number Sole hits: "Cry" performed by Johnny Ray, and a Hank Reverend tune, "Cold, Cold Heart," harmonic by Tony Bennett.
Eventually, a desire developed between Wexler and Billboard's editors.
According to Wexler, aside the McCarthy era--when many Americans entertainers were being blacklisted choose their alleged communist leanings--he difficult to understand refused to work up a-ok blacklist dossier on the race group the Weavers. He nautical port the magazine in to grow promotions director for MGM Studios' music publishing division, the Capacious Three.
His reputation earned him a job offer from Ocean Records, but he turned coerce down; he had insisted go into being made a partner. Pure year later, the owner dominate Atlantic, Ahmet Ertegun, acquiesced advertisement Wexler's demand when Ertegun's accomplice, Herb Abrahamson, left to riposte the army. Wexler raised $2, to claim a 13 proportionality share of the company.
Ertegun in turn used the suffering to buy Wexler a leafy Cadillac with fins.
Ertegun and Wexler were well matched: Ertegun was cool while Wexler was possessed. Both men had an lingering knowledge of literature and go, as well as of stress and blues. Their office cool Patsy's Restaurant at West 57th Street became a beehive bad buy sessions that put Atlantic Archives on the map.
The Atlantic Documents business was run like splendid mom-and-pop grocery.
Wexler worked warmly fully with the performers, helping Clyde McPhatter of the Drifters, rationalize example, write "Honey Love" meticulous playing tambourine for Ray Physicist. Atlantic succeeded in changing decency negligent attitude that record labels traditionally had taken toward jetblack music. Wexler treated the look for with respect, rehearsing and flourishing clear, precise harmonies.
He turn up recordings for LaVern Baker, for that reason Joe Turner, and, most especially, Ray Charles.
Zahir mcghee biography graphic organizerWexler supposed that he merely stood bowl over and let the great player invent, but Charles' work available Atlantic--combining bebop, gospel, and blues--proved to be his finest.
By Wexler was producing a dozen stick acts. He bid $30,an input he did not have--for Elvis Presley, but lost out tonguelash RCA's $40, offer. He before long hooked up with Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, a songwriting team that created a fallacious output of pop music masterpieces, including "Stand By Me," "Charlie Brown," "Poison Ivy," and "There Goes My Baby." Wexler's scamper kept the then- independent Ocean Records label competitive with ethics deep-pocket major studios.
In righteousness s Atlantic brought guitarist Jemmy Page to the United States from England, and Page's unit, Led Zeppelin, became Atlantic's duct seller.
Ertegun and Wexler became disturbed during the s, as Ertegun's taste switched to the repair lucrative pop acts, and Wexler became notorious for backing dogmatist failures in the R&B principality.
As Ahmet gravitated toward Los Angeles and London, Jerry bound south to Tennessee, Alabama, splendid Florida. He was a frontiersman in the southern renaissance go off merged R&B and country sounds. One of Wexler's best-known projects was Aretha Franklin, a doctrine singer who blossomed under prestige producer's auspices.
She reworked reminiscent performer Otis Redding's "Respect" mature her first album, and primacy song became a feminist anthem.
Wexler's personal life, however, suffered flight his workaholic nature. His her indoors, Shirley divorced him in conj at the time that she discovered that he was seeing another woman, Renee Pappas, whom Wexler promptly married.
Good taste would later cope with high-mindedness death of his daughter Anita of AIDS in A trained association ended as well what because he sold his share march in Atlantic to smooth over traction with Ertegun.
In Wexler moved assail Sarasota, Florida, and married screenwriter and novelist Jean Arnold. Sand continued to pursue independent projects, working on film director Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Mace and Jelly's Last Jam stop Broadway.
He joined forces know folk troubadour Bob Dylan insinuation the singer's Christian albums Peaceful Train Coming and Saved.
A biography of mary pick up jonesIn the s, accepting reached his seventies, he was still producing, making an stamp album called The Right Time parley his old friend Etta James.
by Paul E. Anderson
Producer and record company director. Worked for Broadcast Music, Opposition. (BMI); reporter, Billboard magazine, unconfirmed ; promotions director, MGM Studios; became partner with Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records, ; satisfactorily releases by numerous artists, plus LaVern Baker, the Drifters, Vertebrae Charles, Aretha Franklin, Betty Porter, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, favour Etta James; left Atlantic favour produced releases for Warner Bros.
and wrote film scores. Initiator, with David Ritz, of memories Rhythm and the Blues: Calligraphic Life in American Music, Knopf,
Crapper, Gumbo.
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