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Loring Buzzell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Loring Bruce Buzzell October 3, 1927 Long Beach, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 20, 1959 (aged 32) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Ararat Cemetery, East Farmingdale, New York |
| Occupation(s) | Music publisher, music executive |
| Years active | 1948–1959 |
| Known for | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
|
Loring Bruce Buzzell (October 3, 1927 – October 20, 1959) was an American music publisher and record label executive.[1] Together with film producer Harold Hecht and actor Burt Lancaster, he formed a series of music publishing imprints in the middle and late 1950s.[1] His music publishing companies, Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music, Calyork Music, Leigh Music and Colby Music, were responsible for copyrighting, publishing and promoting the soundtracks and theme songs from such notable films as Marty, Trapeze, The Kentuckian, Sweet Smell of Success, Separate Tables, Cry Tough, Take a Giant Step and The Unforgiven. Buzzell's companies also published "May You Always", the recordings of which by The McGuire Sisters for Coral Records and Joan Regan for HMV Records, became the top-selling records and the second-best-selling sheet music in the United States and the United Kingdom for 1959.[2][3][4][5] Calyork Records and Maine Records were two independent record labels operated by Buzzell in partnership with Hecht and Lancaster.[6]
Prior to his association with Hecht and Lancaster, Buzzell was General Professional Manager of several Howard Spencer Richmond music publishing imprints, including Hollis Music, Ludlow Music, Folkways Music Publishers, Dartmouth Music and Cromwell Music. While working for Richmond, Buzzell published and promoted such hits as "Early Autumn", written by Woody Herman, Ralph Burns and Johnny Mercer and recorded by Jo Stafford and Paul Weston for Columbia Records, Georgie Auld for Coral Records and Ted Heath and Lita Roza for London Records; "Longing for You", written by Władysław Daniłowski and Bernard Jansen and recorded by Les Baxter for Capitol Records, Teresa Brewer for London Records, George Cates for Coral Records, Larry Clinton for Broadway Records, Vic Damone for Mercury Records, Sammy Kaye for Columbia Records, Russ Morgan for Decca Records and Tommy Tucker for M-G-M Records; "The Thing", written by Charles Randolph Grean and recorded by Phil Harris for RCA-Victor Records; and "A Guy Is a Guy", written by Oscar Brand and recorded by Doris Day for Columbia Records, Ella Fitzgerald for Decca Records and Peggy Taylor for Mercury Records.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
Earlier in his career, Buzzell was a contact man for Jack Mills and Irving Mills' music publishing company, Mills Music, and a field man for the performance rights organization the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.[1] Buzzell was married to popular singer Lu Ann Simms, whom he managed towards the end of his life.[14][15] Buzzell died prematurely at the age of 32 in October 1959 from a heart attack.[1]
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
:4was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Reviews of New Pop Records". Billboard. November 24, 1958. p. 42.
- ^ "Hot 100". Billboard. January 26, 1959. p. 40.
- ^ "Best Selling Sheet Music in US". Billboard. March 16, 1959. p. 44.
- ^ Shapiro, Nat (1964). Popular music : an annotated index of American popular songs. New York, N.Y. : Adrian Press. ISBN 978-0-8103-0845-9 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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:46was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Haller, Marie (August 1956). Where or When. TV Radio Mirror. p. 56.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Cohen, Martin (January 1959). Play Your Hunch. TV Radio Mirror.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)