Liner Notes, No. 17
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ARCHIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC AND CULTURE liner notes NO. 17 / 2012-2013 Logan H. Westbrooks: Music Industry Executive, Entrepreneur, Teacher, Philanthropist aaamc liner notes 17 121712.indd 1 12/21/12 10:52 AM aaamc mission From the Desk of the Director The AAAMC is devoted to the collection, preservation, and Since 2010, the AAAMC has been (sub-distributors or wholesalers), while dissemination of materials for involved in a documentation and oral record retail outlets, management and the purpose of research and history project that preserves the legacy concert promotion agencies, music study of African American of African American pioneers who industry publications, and other music and culture. established and became executives of related businesses proliferated. African www.indiana.edu/~aaamc black music divisions at major record Americans also purchased radio and companies, as well as others who have television stations and expanded local driven the success of independent and syndicated programs featuring record companies specializing in black music. Operating as a collective, black music. This project builds upon these entrepreneurs, along with their Table of Contents research I began in the early 1980s while white counterparts, moved black music attending conventions of the Black from the racial margins of society into From the Desk of Music Association, Jack the Rapper, and the mainstream, which contributed the Director ..................... 2 Black Radio Exclusive, which featured to the growth of a multibillion dollar seminars on a range of related topics. industry. Kenny Gamble, chairman In the Vault: These conventions and my interviews of Philadelphia International Records with industry pioneers (available as part and co-founder of the Black Music Recent Donations ............. 3 of the Portia K. Maultsby Collection) Association, contended: “In 1977, the made me aware of the role African music industry grossed more than $3.5 Logan H. Westbrooks: Americans played in the development of billion. Approximately one-third of Music Industry Executive, the national/international multimillion that gross was receipts on black music Entrepreneur, Teacher, dollar music industry. I knew that this (Billboard, September 23, 1978, p. 3). unfolding history had to be documented This issue of Liner Notes features Philanthropist .................. 4 and preserved, otherwise the legacies excerpts from interviews with of these unsung pioneers would be executives of black music divisions, Featured Collection: forgotten and remain excluded from which provide insider perspectives of Logan H. Westbrooks ....... 8 histories on the music industry and the rise and fall of this golden age, as black and American popular music. well as highlights from the Logan H. One-On-One: Interviews with Let’s begin the story in the 1960s Westbrooks Collection. Westbrooks when Atlantic Records (New York), will visit the IU, Bloomington campus Tom Draper, Ray Harris, and Motown (Detroit), and Stax (Memphis) in early February to help us celebrate Virgil Roberts ................ 10 dominated the production and sale of Black History Month [see scheduled black music. Their success in generating events inside]. The next issue of Liner Interview with Logan sales across racial boundaries did not go Notes will feature additional black music H. Westbrooks on CBS unnoticed by the majors. By the early industry interviews from our ongoing 1970s, CBS, RCA, Warner Bros., Capitol, documentation project. International in Africa ...... 24 MGM, and EMI began to expand their reach beyond pop and rock markets to capitalize on the growing cross-cultural consumer base for black music. They On the Cover: established black music divisions, which ARCHIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC AND CULTURE resulted in an unprecedented number liner notesNO. 17 / 2012-2013 of African American music industry executives (and support staff) and new opportunities for creative artists and entrepreneurs. During this period called the “Golden Age of Black Music” by industry insiders, small independent Logan H. Westbrooks: Music Industry black production companies and record Executive, Entrepreneur, Teacher, Philanthropist labels partnered with the majors, who manufactured and distributed their records through national Logan H. Westbrooks in his Source and international networks. Other Records office, ca. 1980. entrepreneurs established one-stops 2 aaamc liner notes 17 121712.indd 2 12/21/12 10:52 AM In the Vault: Recent Donations African American Logan H. Westbrooks Collection: Arts Institute: Additional awards and memorabilia, recordings, videos, and The Black Composer Speaks collection consisting of research clippings documenting Westbrooks’s career at CBS and Source files, recorded interviews, and transcripts compiled by David N. Records. Baker, Lida M. Belt, and Herman C. Hudson for the production of the book by the same title (all rights retained by the AAAI). Misha Norton: The Dale Yarger collection of soul music recordings consisting of Angela Brown Collection: 135 albums. Additional programs and press clippings from 2011–2012. Portia K. Maultsby Collection: Denise Dalphond Collection: Additional black music industry interviews as well as personal Recorded interviews and transcripts, photographs, press papers and sheet music. clippings, posters, and research materials related to Detroit techno music. Tom Draper Collection: Photographs, clippings, and printed materials documenting Gertrude Rivers Robinson Draper’s career in the music industry. Collection: Original music manuscripts and sketches for works composed by Vy Higgensen Collection: Robinson in addition to correspondence, biographical materials, Additional programs, clippings, and brochures documenting the programs, and press clippings. activities and productions of the Mama Foundation for the Arts. CD/DVD/Book/Music Donors: !K7 Records Dialtone Records Medtone Records Rounder Records Above SEE Level, LLC Divine Pocket Bouncers Mello Music Group Severn Records Afrasia Productions DL Media Merlis For Hire Shanachie Entertainment Albany Records Dust-to-Digital Mr. Wonderful Productions Shapiro, Liuba Alligator Records EMI Moore, Dorothy Shout! Factory Arts Center of Cannon County EMI Gospel Motema Music SLG Music Audio Preservation Fund Entertainment One Music + Art Management, Inc. Smithsonian Folkways Ballin’ Entertainment Epitaph Records MVD SonnyWorld Music Bates Meyer, Inc. Fake Four Inc. New Video Sony Music Entertainment BBC Radio 2 Flipswitch New World Records Soundway BBE Music Forced Exposure Nelson-Strauss, Brenda State Library & Archives of Beggars Group Fort Knox Recordings Ninja Tune Florida Bellamy Group Funky Town Grooves Nonesuch Records Stones Throw Records Bender/Helper Impact Girlie Action Norfleet, Dawn Stony Plain Records BGO Records Girton, Rev. Melvin Northern Blues Music Sub Pop Records Big Hassle GoMedia PR Now-Again Records Taseis Media Blake Ziddel & Associates Gorgeous Media Omega Tattersall, Marnie Blind Racoon Harmonia Mundi Omowale, Jonah Telarc Records Bloodshot Records Hieroglyphics Enterprises Palgrave Macmillian Tem Blessed Blues Images Honorable South LLC Palmetto Records That’s My Worldwide LLC Brookes Company Ill Adrenaline Records Parallel Thought Theoretics Capital Entertainment IU Cook Music Library Plug Research Music Thomas, Eddie Cherry Red Records Jacobson Firm Press Here Tillery, Linda Chev Kayos Productions Press Junkie TKO Marketing Chocolate Industries Kemado Records PS Classics Trotter, Larry D. Clemmons, Rod Keyes, Cheryl Quigley Media Tyscot Records Cold Tuna Discs King, Chris Thomas Quinerly, Reggie Universal Music Concord Music Group Legacy Recordings Razor & Tie Wellesley College Conqueroo Light in the Attic RCA Records Ware, Leon Cook, David Mack Avenue Real Talent Media Group Wise, Raymond Cooper, Tyron Malaco Records Redmond, Gus Woods, Michael Davis, Carl MaultsBy, Carl Roche, Tom Worldwide Music Definitive Jux Maultsby, Portia K. Rock Paper Scissors XL Recordings Delmark Records Mark Pucci Media Rogers, Diane Delta Groove Productions Media Distribution Round Whirled Records The AAAMC welcomes donations of photographs, film and video, sound recordings, music, and research materials on all aspects of African American music. 3 aaamc liner notes 17 121712.indd 3 12/21/12 10:52 AM Logan Westbrooks with CBS Records black music marketing division staff, 1973. Logan H. Westbrooks: Music Industry Executive, Entrepreneur, Teacher, Philanthropist Logan H. Westbrooks is one of the central figures Wilson, Nat King Cole, The Beatles, Glen Campbell, The responsible for opening the doors of the music industry to Lettermen, Bobby Gentry, and Cannonball Adderley. black artists and executives. In addition to his pioneering role In 1968, he was promoted to regional promotion manager as the director of special markets at CBS Records in the 1970s, for the Midwest. In this new position, Westbrooks was solely Westbrooks is known for his work as a teacher, an international responsible for promoting and securing airplay for all of business consultant, an author, a real estate entrepreneur, a Capitol’s black music releases throughout the major urban philanthropist, and a highly sought-after lecturer. centers of the region. He was promoted to the position of After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business administrative assistant to the vice president of marketing in administration in 1961 from Lincoln University (Jefferson City, 1970, but he soon left to serve as the national (R&B) promotion MO), where