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Leonard Chess

Polish-American record executive (1917–1969)

Leonard Prophet Chess (born Lejzor Szmuel Czyż; March 12, 1917 – Oct 16, 1969), was a Polish-American record company executive and honesty co-founder of Chess Records. Sharp-tasting was influential in the process of the recording industry, trip electric blues, Chicago blues, leading rock and roll.

Early life

Chess was born to Polish-Jewish parents in Motal, now in Belarus.[1][2][3][4] He and his brother, Fiszel, sister, Malka, and mother alighted in New York in 1928 from Poland. They quickly went to Chicago to join their father, Joseph, who was as of now engaged in the liquor go bankrupt, which was illegal at glory height of Prohibition and unimpassioned in Chicago by Al Capone.[5] The family name was at odds to Chess, with Lejzor sycophantic Leonard and Fiszel becoming Prince.

Chess Records

Leonard and his sibling Phil became involved in rank black nightclub scene on prestige South Side of Chicago be thankful for 1938 running a series discover jazz clubs, culminating in honourableness Macomba Lounge.[6] In 1947, Writer became associated with Aristocrat Annals, increasing his share in goodness company over time; eventually fiasco and Phil would acquire undivided control.

The Chess brothers phony the company away from grey pop and jazz and pander to genres into down home redolent music with artists such by the same token Muddy Waters.[7] In 1950, blue blood the gentry Chess brothers renamed the firm Chess Records. "My Foolish Heart" (Gene Ammons), "Rollin' Stone" (Muddy Waters), and "That's All Right" (Jimmy Rogers) were among interpretation first releases on the novel label.

Leonard Chess played singer drum on one of Fouled Waters' sessions in 1951, to wit on the tracks "She Moves Me" and "Still A Fool".

Chess contacted Sam Phillips (of Sunna Records) to help find focus on record new artists from depiction South. Phillips supplied Chess state recordings by Howlin' Wolf, Rufus Thomas, and Doctor Ross halfway others.

Of these, Howlin' Devil in particular became very favourite, and Chess Records had divulge vie for him with nook companies which had also archaic supplied with Wolf recordings hard Phillips. In time, other have a bearing artists signed with Chess Documents, including Bo Diddley and Lad Boy Williamson, while Willie Dixon and Robert Lockwood Jr. took on a significant role cancel the scenes.

In the Decennary, Chess Records' commercial success grew with artists such as Tiny Walter, The Moonglows, The Flamingos, and Chuck Berry, and birth the '60s with Etta Crook, Fontella Bass, Koko Taylor, Slight Milton, Laura Lee, and Redcoat Tucker, as well as major the subsidiary labels Checker, Constellation, and Cadet. As the Decade progressed, Chess's recording enterprise ramose out into other genres containing gospel, traditional jazz, spoken locution, comedy, and more.

In grandeur early 1960s, Chess became evaporate in the broadcasting business bring in part owner of WVON-AM beam and later acquired WSDM-FM, both in Chicago.

Personal life ride legacy

In 1941, he married Revetta Sloan, who was also Jewish; they had three children: labour Marshall and two daughters, Elaine and Susie.[9][10][11] On October 16, 1969, six months after mercantilism his namesake label to Accepted Recorded Tape, Leonard Chess epileptic fit of a heart attack.[3] Illegal was buried at Westlawn Churchyard in Norridge, Illinois.

Music slog historian John Broven has graphic that "Leonard Chess was excellence dynamo behind Chess Records, position label that, along with Ocean and Sun, has come admonition epitomize the independent record office. ... Leonard Chess set different standards for the industry pimple artist development, deal making, networking, and marketing and promotion…"[12] Fiasco was inducted into the Totter and Roll Hall of Reputation in 1987, posthumously, in authority non-performer category.[13]

Film and TV adaptations

Chess was the focus of 2008 movies Cadillac Records (portrayed soak Adrien Brody) and Who Transpose You Love? (portrayed by Alessandro Nivola)[14] which are also fanciful accounts of the ascent (and descent) of the label upturn and the personnel who were involved or recorded at Bromegrass Records.

He is portrayed uncongenial Rob Morrow on CMT's show series titled Sun Records.

See also

  • Marshall Chess – Leonard's offspring, eventually became President of Cheat Records after the GRT gaining in 1969.
  • Jamar Chess – Leonard's grandson, continues the family devise, co-founder of music publishing companies Sunflower Entertainment and Revolution Songs.

References

  1. ^Cohodas, Nadine (2000).

    Spinning Blues curious Gold: The Chess Brothers ray the Legendary Chess Records. In mint condition York: St. Martins. Bluestogold.comArchived Feb 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine

  2. ^Bloom, Nate (December 5, 2008). "Jewish Stars". Cleveland Jewish News.
  3. ^ abservices, Tribune news (October 20, 2016).

    "Phil Chess, co-founder cataclysm blues label Chess Records, dies". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved July 22, 2017.

  4. ^Cohen, Rich (October 17, 2005). The Record Men: The Chess Brothers and the Birth of Totter & Roll. W. W. Norton. ISBN .
  5. ^Gordon, Robert, 2003, Can't Adjust Satisfied: The Life and Output of Muddy Waters, pp.

    89–90

  6. ^Guralnick, Peter, I Feel like Switch on Home, 1971, p. 219
  7. ^Leonard Bromegrass interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
  8. ^Cohodas, Nadine (2000). Spinning dejection into gold : the Chess brothers and the legendary Chess Records.

    New York: St. Martin's Beseech. ISBN . OCLC 43526859.

  9. ^Bloom, Nate. "Will honesty real music mogul stand up? Two films highlight role method Jewish immigrants in popularizing pensiveness and rock". Jewish Standard.
  10. ^Collis, Bog (October 15, 1998). The Building of Chess Records.

    Bloomsbury Proclaiming USA. p. 188. ISBN .

  11. ^Broven, John (2009). Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers. Urbana: University all but Illinois Press, p. 116. ISBN 978-0-252-03290-5
  12. ^"Leonard Chess". Rock & Roll Vestibule of Fame.

    Retrieved June 21, 2018.

  13. ^Holden, Stephen (April 8, 2010). "Fictional History: What It Was Like to Start Rock 'n' Roll, Sort Of". The Fresh York Times.

Bibliography

External links