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Berle Adams
Berle Adams (born Beryl Adasky, 11 June 1917 – 25 August 2009) was an American music industry executive and talent booking agent best known for co-founding Mercury Records in the 1940s and later becoming a senior executive at MCA.
Adams was born in 1917 to immigrants from Russia on the West Side of Chicago, the son of Etta (née Block), a homemaker, and Jack Adasky, a milkman. His mother died when he was 18 months old. He went to Crane Technical High School. Adams became attracted to late night remote radio broadcasts of America's swing bands, including those of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Bob Crosby, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman. While still in high school, Adams began renting speaker systems and booking bands, school proms, weddings, men's and women's benevolent organizations, fire department and chamber of commerce socials.[citation needed]
With support from established bandleader Al Trace, Adams briefly worked as a band booker.[citation needed] Adams left the music business temporarily, married his neighborhood sweetheart Lucy Leven, and began selling life insurance door-to-door. Insurance sales during the Depression proved unprofitable. Adams talked his way into a job for Varsity Records,[citation needed] promoting the tiny company's little-known artists for space on the city's jukeboxes against stars recording for industry giants like RCA Victor and Decca.
Adams was hired by GAC, where he studied the one-night band booking practices of GAC's Joe Shribman and determined to become an agent. In one of his earliest efforts, he managed to introduce bandleader Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five to Chicago café lounges in May 1941. The Jordan association lasted nine years and solidly established the careers of both men.
Over the next few years, Adams represented clarinetist Jimmie Noone, saxophonists Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins, boogie woogie stylists Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, and young saxophonist Illinois Jacquet. Adams booked road dates for Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Charlie Spivak, Claude Thornhill, Nat King Cole, The Andrews Sisters, Joe Venuti, and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1943, Adams left GAC to become Jordan's personal manager and established the Berle Adams Agency.
In 1944, Adams established the Champagne Music and Preview Music publishing companies and the next year he formed the Mercury Radio and Television Company, which became Mercury Records, with partners Irving Green, Ray Greenberg, and Art Talmadge.
Mercury soon began recording Erroll Garner, Dinah Washington, Frances Langford, Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, Tony Martin, and employing Mitch Miller and Norman Granz as producers.
In 1946, Mercury recorded Frankie Laine's version of the 1931 tune "That's My Desire," and it became the singer's first hit. Other successes followed at Mercury, including Vic Damone's "I Have But One Heart," which launched the singer's career.
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Berle Adams
Berle Adams (born Beryl Adasky, 11 June 1917 – 25 August 2009) was an American music industry executive and talent booking agent best known for co-founding Mercury Records in the 1940s and later becoming a senior executive at MCA.
Adams was born in 1917 to immigrants from Russia on the West Side of Chicago, the son of Etta (née Block), a homemaker, and Jack Adasky, a milkman. His mother died when he was 18 months old. He went to Crane Technical High School. Adams became attracted to late night remote radio broadcasts of America's swing bands, including those of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Bob Crosby, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman. While still in high school, Adams began renting speaker systems and booking bands, school proms, weddings, men's and women's benevolent organizations, fire department and chamber of commerce socials.[citation needed]
With support from established bandleader Al Trace, Adams briefly worked as a band booker.[citation needed] Adams left the music business temporarily, married his neighborhood sweetheart Lucy Leven, and began selling life insurance door-to-door. Insurance sales during the Depression proved unprofitable. Adams talked his way into a job for Varsity Records,[citation needed] promoting the tiny company's little-known artists for space on the city's jukeboxes against stars recording for industry giants like RCA Victor and Decca.
Adams was hired by GAC, where he studied the one-night band booking practices of GAC's Joe Shribman and determined to become an agent. In one of his earliest efforts, he managed to introduce bandleader Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five to Chicago café lounges in May 1941. The Jordan association lasted nine years and solidly established the careers of both men.
Over the next few years, Adams represented clarinetist Jimmie Noone, saxophonists Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins, boogie woogie stylists Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, and young saxophonist Illinois Jacquet. Adams booked road dates for Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Charlie Spivak, Claude Thornhill, Nat King Cole, The Andrews Sisters, Joe Venuti, and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1943, Adams left GAC to become Jordan's personal manager and established the Berle Adams Agency.
In 1944, Adams established the Champagne Music and Preview Music publishing companies and the next year he formed the Mercury Radio and Television Company, which became Mercury Records, with partners Irving Green, Ray Greenberg, and Art Talmadge.
Mercury soon began recording Erroll Garner, Dinah Washington, Frances Langford, Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, Tony Martin, and employing Mitch Miller and Norman Granz as producers.
In 1946, Mercury recorded Frankie Laine's version of the 1931 tune "That's My Desire," and it became the singer's first hit. Other successes followed at Mercury, including Vic Damone's "I Have But One Heart," which launched the singer's career.