Hollywood Sheet Music: Little Giant Of Print J are ready for showing? Someone has to go books - not so. This is a bright, cheerful hooked on the business. After leaving or someplace and gather together the music store operated by two bright, cheerful peo- Music City he joined the Morse Preeman ARI ... it might be a return for a big star, music ple and a friendly pup named Dusty, who firm as manager of their retail department. for Mery Griffin or Dinah Show, a Bing has been with the company since it opened Story By Virginia Rinaldo and Jim the When Charles Hansen took over the Crosby special or even Name That Tune. nine years ago. Tony and Anne Stecheson Music City stores, then consisting of Armstrong the best known people Nine times out of ten someone gets on the are probably two of Hollywood and Lakewood, Tony ran a west business world; not as perfor- To most people Hollywood means film phone or goes to the Hollywood Sheet in the show coast warehouse and edited a weekly who make it possible companies, movie stars, recording studios Music Store ... and nine times out of ten mers, but as people retailer's newspaper. His most outstanding to go forward in a more and glamor. Though this is basically true, it they find the answers. for show business pupil at the time was Ms. Ronny Schiff, now way. This is proven by the more is also a handful of dedicated companies Situated within blocks of several major enjoyable of Almo Publications. and individuals working hard to keep it up. recording companies, television stations than 200 autographed photographs of the In this "Hooray For Hollywood" world and motion picture studios, Hollywood great, near great, famous, those on the way About nine years ago Tony and Anne there is a place where show people go for Sheet Music at 1634 Cahuenga Blvd. has up and those on the way down, which paper opened their own place and began serving help with their musical problems. Have you become the most successful independent the walls of their shop. the public in many ways other than just sell- has to start the store in America. ing sheet music. ever thought that someone Directly under a street sign which reads for One might expect to find a "little ole man" ball rolling long before the musical acts "Hollywood Boulevard Next" one finds a One of the most important accomplish- surrounded by file cabinets and reference television, night clubs and musical reviews unique set of display windows featuring the ments of this talented pair was the publica- newest sheets and folios available tion of their book entitled "The Stecheson anywhere in the country (Hollywood Music Classified Song Directory" in 1961. This authors T L1BtG A T is an absolute first for any new issue), contains the titles, publishers and A of Hollywood I I I e framed collector's film themes and a special display on the latest event in Tinsel * * Master of the engraving art Town. Publishers and film companies often wait in line for a shot at exposure in this win- dow. Today a "Star Wars" display adorns it. Tony estimates twenty-five requests a day NOW SERVING YOU NATION-WIDE from passers-by to purchase parts of it. Next week, Walt Disney will feature a dis- play on "Pete's Dragon," their upcoming Top quality thirteen -million dollar musical. Low prices The key to the success of the Fast service Stecheson's little shop is in their variety of product and their magnificent knowledge of printed music. Hollywood Music boasts Our business built upon customer more than 300,000 single song titles; in- satisfaction cluding pop, classical, Broadway and service and foreign music. A good portion of this is con- Tony & Anne tained in his famous sheet music morgue. Stecheson Contact Victor Patane The store's two phones handle an average of 167,000 songs. What makes it such an of forty to fifty calls an hour, six days a week. outstanding book is that these titles are 1926 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Fla. matter. The Stechesons are often invited to the cross referenced under subject taping of tv specials, film screenings, Las Thus, if you are looking for a song about a Vegas and Reno stage shows and musical girl in a red dress - look under either the This reviews in the L.A. area. M.G.M. recently color catagory or the one for clothing. book is sold in sixteen countries, Featuring bought a complete variety of Fred Astaire worldwide. Pop and Rock sheet music to be blown up to life-size for in a special "Hallelujah Hollywood" Way Down use Many print publishers use the tribute to the dancer as the opening show at knowledge stored in the Song Directory Years Separate Ways Through The their new Reno hotel and casino. and in the Stechesons' minds; examples in- Johnny B. Goode "We deal with top show people and yet clude Russell Wiltse's fine collection of Al Long Tall Sally we never meet a great number of them," Jolson songs for Hansen Publications and Rip It Up reports Stecheson who began his career in the outstanding movie music history "Try Take Good Care Of Her Canada as Tony The Troubadour and as a To Remember" by Jim Armstrong. The Tutti Frutti Toronto radio personality for ten years. Stechesons helped with the research for Standards These personalities have included Raquel these and many books. Blue Hawaii Welsh, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop Blueberry Hill Hope, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ann by this interesting store - meet Tony and Frankie And Johnny Margaret, Neil Diamond, John Denver and Anne - pat Dusty (the security guard) on The Impossible Dream Lucille Ball. the head, as have many of Hollywood's elite Love Letters The Stechesons came to California from - take a look at the autographed pictures Proud Mary Canada about twenty years ago and Tony is from his customers - and if you are hung don't miss his fine displays Gospel very quick to tell you that he became a up on nostalgia, citizen of the United States on the first day it of cartoon, Shirley Temple and Academy Bosom Of Abraham was possible for him to do so. In 1955 he Award song sheets. Hollywood Music is an Down By The Riverside went to work as manager of the sheet music experience anyone in the music industry He Touched Me department at Wallichs Music City and got won't soon forget. Somebody Bigger Than You And I All 50 of the recorded Songs When The Saints Go Marching In Belwin-Mills: 60 Years Of Music Christmas from his 4 song hooks (continued from page 8) musical items has increased to over three + I'll Be Home For Christmas Belwin-Mills the largest reprint edition in hundred, and is now in over eight hundred Red Blue Brown Green O Come, All Ye Faithful the world - over 6,000 titles, and more be- music stores. It includes everything from Silent Night, Holy Night ing added every year. music boxes to memo pads. now available in one great Silver Bells With this acquisition, it was necessary to The success of the Belwin-Mills catalog and Many More lease an additional 35,000 square feet of is primarily due to three factors: outstand- space to house this catalog. ing publications written and arranged by ALBUM plus POSTER and arrang- I cannot tell you exactly how many widely accepted composers publications are in the Belwin-Mills catalog ers; promotional campaigns to the con- All for only 5595 today; but an educated guess would be sumer - but directing the purchase about 48,000 active titles, selling anywhere through music stores; and last but far from of Elvis Through The Years Please me copies from ten copies a year to one million copies least, the outstanding cooperation of music who have a year. In addition to this, I would estimate stores throughout the company, at $5.95 each. Enclosed is a check or money order for that we represent, through agency agree- promoted, stocked and displayed these ments, approximately another thirty-five to publications, making them immediately $ New York residents add appropriate sales tax. forty thousand titles. available to the public. Everything that Belwin-Mills involves it- The Belwin-Mills story is now up to date, self in is music -oriented but might not be but far from ended. The past is history, but HAINßEN HOUSE music. In 1975 Music Boutique was in- the future is bright. With the help of musi- troduced into the music stores. This is a cians, educators, performing artists, and 1860 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10023 new concept in gift -giving! Over a short students, we hope to continue to be of ser- period of two years, the line of gifts and vice to the music world. 63 Cash Box/October 1, 1977 www.americanradiohistory.com.