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Cadence Records was an American record company based in New York City. It was founded by Archie Bleyer, who had been the musical director and orchestra leader for Arthur Godfrey in 1952. Bleyer had written a few hot songs in 1932-34 (Fletcher Henderson's "Business in F" is a good example) and had a band that recorded for ARC in 1934 and 1935 (his records were issued on Vocalion, Melotone, Perfect and Romeo).

The first recording star for Cadence was Godfrey alumnus Julius La Rosa. Other Godfrey alumnae signed to the label included the Chordettes. According to legend, Bleyer was fired from the Godfrey show when he signed someone Godfrey regarded as a rival to a record deal. (Godfrey later fired singer Julius La Rosa in October 1954, causing a storm of controversy at the time.) The label also produced the early hits of Andy Williams and The Everly Brothers, as well as Johnny Tillotson. Virtuoso jazz/classical pianist Don Shirley was signed with Cadence in the 50's and 60's. Candid Records was the company's short-lived jazz subsidiary. One of Cadence's most popular songs in the 1950s was Eloise written and sung by Kay Thompson.

Cadence had nearly 100 charted American singles during the 1950s and into the 1960s. It produced the 1962 smash bestseller parody album, "The First Family" by Vaughn Meader, which was, to that time, the fastest-selling album in history, featuring impressions of President John F. Kennedy, wife Jackie Kennedy, and newsmakers like Nikita Khrushchev and Senator Hubert Humphrey. A follow-up album released in March 1963 did not do as well, and shortly thereafter, the two albums were taken out of print, following the assassination of Kennedy in Dallas. The departures of the Everly Brothers in 1960 (to Warner Bros. Records) and of Andy Williams in 1961 (to Columbia Records), along with radical changes in public taste and the music business brought on by the 1964 British invasion, led to the decline of the company by 1964. Bleyer opted to shut down Cadence,^[1] and sold Williams' masters to the singer, which he bought mainly because he wanted to keep Cadence from reissuing his old material in competition with his new material. Bleyer wanted Williams to buy the entire Cadence catalogue which he did.^[2][3] Williams reissued his old albums on Columbia and formed Barnaby Records to manage the Cadence catalogue.

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Cadence Records Story
• singles disgography

See also[link]

• List of record labels

Andy Williams
Andy Williams performing at the Moon River Theater in Branson, MO late 2006
Background information
Birth name	Howard Andrew Williams
Also known as	A Voice of National Treasure The King of Hearts The Golden Voice The Emperor of Easy The Emperor of Class The Crooning King The King of Easy Listening Mr. Moon River The American Idol Mr. Christmas[citation needed]
Born	(1927-12-03) December 3, 1927 (age 84)
Origin	Wall Lake, Iowa, United States
Genres	Traditional pop Jazz Country Pop Easy Listening
Occupations	Singer Songwriter Actor Record producer
Years active	1938–present
Labels	Sony BMG/Columbia/Cadence
Website	AndyWilliams.com

Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams (born December 3, 1927) is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold-^[1] and three Platinum-certified^[2] albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns the Moon River Theatre^[3] in Branson, Missouri named after the song "Moon River", with which he is closely identified.

Early life and career[link]

Williams was born in Wall Lake, Iowa,^[4] the son of Jay Emerson and Florence (née Finley) Williams. He first performed in a children's choir at the local Presbyterian church.^[4] Williams and his three older brothers Bob, Don, and Dick formed the Williams Brothers quartet^[4] in late 1938, and they performed on radio in the Midwest, first at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa, and later at WLS in Chicago and WLW in Cincinnati. Williams graduated from Western Hills High School in Cincinnati and his brother was engaged to Gene Ingram's car-pool partner, Peggy. The Williams Brothers appeared with Bing Crosby on the hit record "Swinging on a Star" (1944). They appeared in 4 musical films: Janie (1944), Kansas City Kitty (1944), Something in the Wind (1947) and Ladies' Man (1947). This led to a nightclub act with entertainer Kay Thompson from 1947 to 1951.^[4]

Solo career[link]

Williams' solo career began in 1953.^[4] He recorded six sides (individual songs) for RCA Victor's label "X", but none of them were popular hits.^[5]

After finally landing a spot as a regular on Steve Allen's Tonight Show in 1954,^[6] he was signed to a recording contract with Cadence Records, a small label in New York run by conductor Archie Bleyer. His third single, "Canadian Sunset" reached #7 in the Top Ten in August 1956, and was soon followed by his only Billboard #1 hit, "Butterfly" (a cover of a Charlie Gracie record on which Williams imitated Elvis Presley) in February 1957. More hits followed, including "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" (U.S. #11), "Are You Sincere" (U.S. #3 in February 1958), "The Village of St. Bernadette" (U.S. #7 in December 1959), "Lonely Street" (U.S. #5 in September 1959), and "I Like Your Kind Of Love" with Peggy Powers (U.S. #8 in May 1957) before Williams moved to Columbia Records in 1961, having moved from New York to Los Angeles and gaining another hit with "Can't Get Used to Losing You" (U.S. #2). In terms of chart popularity, the Cadence era was Williams' peak although songs he introduced on Columbia became much bigger standards. Two top ten hits from the Cadence era, "Butterfly" and "I Like Your Kind of Love" were apparently believed to not suit Williams' later style; they were not included on a Columbia reissue of his Cadence greatest hits of/from the 1960s.

In 1964, Williams ultimately became the owner of the Cadence master tapes, which he occasionally licensed to Columbia, including not only his own recordings, but those of his fellow Cadence-era labelmates, The Everly Brothers, Lenny Welch, The Chordettes, and Johnny Tillotson. In 1968, although he was still under contract with Columbia for his own recordings, Williams formed a separate company called Barnaby Records not only to handle reissuing of the Cadence material, especially that of The Everly Brothers (one of the first Barnaby LPs was a double LP set of the brothers long out of print Cadence hits) but new artists as well. Barnaby also had several Top 40 hits in the 70s with novelty artist Ray Stevens (who had done a summer replacement show for Williams in 1970), including Top 10s such as "Everything Is Beautiful" in 1970, and "The Streak" in 1974.

Also in 1970, Barnaby signed and released the first album by an unknown singer-songwriter named Jimmy Buffett ("Jimmy Buffett Down to Earth") produced by Travis Turk. Columbia was initially the distributor for Barnaby, but later distribution was handled first by MGM Records and then GRT. Once Barnaby ceased operating as a working record company at the end of the 1970s, Williams licensed the old Cadence material to various other labels (such as Varese & Rhino in the U.S.) after 1980.

During the 1960s, Williams became one of the most popular vocalists in the country and was signed to what was at that time the biggest recording contract in history. He was primarily an album artist, and at one time he had earned more gold albums than any solo performer except Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis and Elvis Presley. By 1973 he had earned as many as 18 gold album awards. Among his hit albums from this period were Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses (number one for 16 weeks in mid-1963), The Andy Williams Christmas Album, Dear Heart, The Shadow of Your Smile, Love, Andy, Get Together with Andy Williams, and Love Story. These recordings, along with his natural affinity for the music of the 1960s and early 1970s, combined to make him one of the premier easy listening singers of that era. In the UK, Williams continued to reach high chart status until 1978. The albums Can't Help Falling In Love (1970), Andy Williams Show (1970) Home Lovin Man ( #1 1971), Solitaire (1973), The Way We Were (1974) and Reflections (1978) all reached the Top 10.

Williams forged an indirect collaborative relationship with Henry Mancini, although they never recorded together. Williams was asked to sing Mancini and Johnny Mercer's song "Moon River" at the 1962 Oscar Awards (where it won), and it quickly became Williams' theme song; however, because it was never released as a single, "Moon River" was never actually a chart hit for Williams.^[7] The next year Williams sang "Days of Wine and Roses" which was written by Mancini and Mercer (this song also won). Two years later, he sang Mancini's "Dear Heart" at the 1965 awards and "The Sweetheart Tree" (also written with Mercer) at the 1966 awards.

On August 5, 1966, the 14-story, 700-room Caesars Palace casino and nightclub opened in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the stage production of "Rome Swings", in which Williams starred. He performed live to a sold out crowd in the Circus Maximus showroom. He headlined for Caesars for the next twenty years.

In 1968, Columbia released a 45-rpm record of two songs Williams sang at the funeral of Robert F. Kennedy, a close friend: "Ave Maria" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". These were never released on a long-playing record.

Williams also competed in the teenage-oriented singles market as well and had several charting hits including "Can't Get Used to Losing You", "Happy Heart", and "Where Do I Begin", the theme song from the 1970 blockbuster film, Love Story. In addition Williams hit the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart with "Almost There" (1965), "Can't Help Falling In Love" (1970), "Home Lovin' Man" (1970) and "Solitaire" (1973).

Both Williams and Petula Clark recorded "Happy Heart" at the same time, just prior to his guest appearance on her second NBC-TV special. Unaware that she, too, was releasing the song as a single, he asked to perform it on the show. The exposure ultimately led to his having the bigger hit with the tune. The song "Happy Heart" is played during the final scene, and throughout the end credits, of the Danny Boyle film Shallow Grave.

Building on his experience with Allen and some short-term variety shows in the 1950s, he became the star of his own weekly television variety show in 1962. This series, The Andy Williams Show, won three Emmy Awards for outstanding variety program. Among his series regulars were the Osmond Brothers. He gave up the variety show in 1971 while it was still popular and retrenched to three specials per year. His Christmas specials, which appeared regularly until 1974 and intermittently from 1982 into the 1990s, were among the most popular of the genre. Williams has recorded eight Christmas albums over the years and has been penned as Mr. Christmas.

Williams hosted the most Grammy telecasts, from the 13th Annual Grammy Awards in 1971 through the 19th Annual Grammy Awards in 1977, totaling seven consecutive shows. He returned to television to do a syndicated half-hour series in 1976–77.

In the early 1970s, when the Nixon Administration attempted to deport John Lennon, Andy Williams was an outspoken defender of the former Beatle's right to stay in the United States.

A caricature of Andy Williams is included in the montage of caricatures displayed on the cover of Ringo Starr's 1973 album, "Ringo".

Williams also sang the national anthem at Super Bowl VII in 1973 with Little Angels of Holy Angels Church in Chicago, Illinois.

National tour success[link]

His 1967 recording of "Music to Watch Girls By" became a huge surprise UK hit to a new young TV audience in 1999, when it reached #9 after being featured in new TV ads for the Fiat Punto--and later for Diet Pepsi--beating the original peak of #33 in 1967. A new generation was reminded of Williams' recordings and a sell-out UK tour followed the success of the single, and he was given the nickname "The Emperor of Easy" in the UK.

In 2002, he re-recorded "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" as a duet with British actress and singer Denise van Outen which reached number 23 in the UK singles charts.

He completed a sold-out tour of the United Kingdom and Asia in the winter and summer of 2007, in which he performed at several major concert halls including the Royal Albert Hall, singing among other classics, Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately".

Williams returned to the UK singles charts with his 1963 recording of "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" in December 2007 thanks to an advert for Marks And Spencer, reaching number 21 in its first appearance in the British charts, also reaching #108 on the EU Top 200. In 2008 he lip-synched the 45-year-old recording to welcome Santa at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

On October 3, 2009, Williams appeared live on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing^[8] in London, singing Moon River to promote the UK edition of The Very Best of Andy Williams, which peaked at number 10 in the main pop chart.

Moon River Theatre[link]

In June 1991, Williams' brother Don invited him to the small Ozarks town of Branson, Missouri. Don Williams at the time was the manager for entertainer Ray Stevens, who had just opened a theatre in Branson. While attending Stevens' show, Williams was encouraged by numerous Branson guests to open a venue in the town.^[3] This led Williams to build his own theater in Branson in time for the 1992 season,^[9] eventually opening on May 1, 1992 as the Moon River Theatre.^[10] The name came from a song he made famous from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. It went on to become the first theater ever to be featured in Architectural Digest, and also won the 1992 Conservation Award from the State of Missouri.^[11]

The theater was designed to blend into the rough terrain of the Ozark Mountains. Reportedly when Williams was on his way to Big Cedar Lodge one day, he had noticed some rough rock outcroppings and said, "What about these? This could be the entrance." He had originally planned a marble style theater reminiscence of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, but soon had a change of mind. The Larson Company of Tucson, Arizona fabricated a section of rock on Missouri's Highway 76 and the theater was soon engulfed with waterfalls, koi filled ponds, ferns and trees native to the Ozarks. The inside of the theater incorporates the outside. Trees and plants are seen throughout the theater's three lobbies. Oak floors are accompanied by African ribbon striped mahogany walls that are filled with pictures of the Andy Williams Television Show. Williams' passion for art can be seen throughout as well. From the start of his career Williams had accumulated several paintings and sculptures and decided to fill his theater with his collection. Frankenthaler, Diebenkorn, Oldenburg, Pollock, Klee and Moore are a small list of artists the Moon River Theatre represents.^[12]

The theater's auditorium can accommodate 2,054 people. The seating is stadium style seating for the best view. The seats and carpets match Williams' Navajo rug collection and are forest green, magenta, gold and blue. On display inside the auditorium are nineteen Japanese Kimonos. The stage has accommodated numerous shows and guest celebrities. On stage Williams has been joined by Glen Campbell, Ann-Margret, Petula Clark and Charo. The theater has also played host to Phyllis Diller, Pat Boone, The Osmond Family, Robert Goulet, Rich Little, Shari Lewis & Lamb Chop, David Copperfield, Pat Benatar and Broadway on Ice starring Nancy Kerrigan, Tara Lipinski and Rudy Galindo. In November and December of each year he presents his annual Andy Williams Christmas Show at the theater.

When it first opened, Williams' act was unique because it was the first non-country act to open in the then-mostly-country music town. It was said he was discouraged by many back home in California from making such a bold move, but that was what he wanted. Other non-country entertainers like Bobby Vinton, Tony Orlando, Wayne Newton and the Osmond Brothers soon followed.^[13]

Williams and his theater were featured on three episodes of the soap opera As the World Turns in July 2007. Several of the cast (Gwen, Will, Cleo, Jade, Luke, Maddie and Noah) went to Branson for a concert of Gwen Munson held in the Moon River Theatre. The Simpsons featured Williams at his Moon River Theatre in an episode titled "Bart on the Road". Nelson Muntz is an Andy Williams fan, and in the episode he forces the gang to make a detour to Branson so he could see his idol. The bully is reduced to tears as Williams performs "Moon River" during the second encore.

In the spring of 2007 Williams opened the Moon River Grill adjacent to his theater in Branson. The restaurant is decorated in photos from the Andy Williams Television Show with stars including Diana Ross, Elton John and Sammy Davis Jr. Art is center stage in the restaurant, with works by several artists including Andy Warhol and Robert Indiana.^[14]

Personal life[link]

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Williams met French-born Claudine Longet when he pulled over to aid her on a Las Vegas road. She was a dancer at the time at the Folies Bergère. They married on December 15, 1961. The union produced three children: Noelle, Christian, and Robert within the next eight years.

After a lengthy separation, Williams and Longet divorced in 1975. In March 1976, however, when Longet was charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend, alpine ski racer Spider Sabich in Aspen, Williams played a public role in the subsequent events, escorting her to and from the courtroom, testifying to her character at the trial, and providing legal assistance. Longet claimed the shooting was accidental, and eventually received 30 days in jail, which was served at her convenience. Shortly thereafter, Longet vacationed in Mexico with her defense attorney Ron Austin, whom she married in June 1985. They continue to reside in the Aspen area.

Andy Williams married a second time (May 3, 1991), to the former Debbie Meyer, whom he met through a mutual friend. They make their homes at Branson, Missouri, and La Quinta, California. Williams' homes have been featured in Architectural Digest, and he is a noted collector of modern art.

Williams is an avid golfer, and hosted the PGA Tour golf tournament in San Diego from 1968-88 at Torrey Pines. Then known as the "Andy Williams San Diego Open", the tournament continues as the Farmers Insurance Open, usually played in February.

Williams' birthplace in Iowa is a tourist attraction, and is open most of the year.

On Friday, November 4, 2011, it was reported in the press that Williams has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. The singer confirmed the condition in a surprise appearance that weekend at his theater in Branson, as reported by the Branson Tri-Lakes News.^[15] He is undergoing chemotherapy treatments in Houston and will then move with his wife to a rented home in Malibu, California to be closer to cancer specialists in the Los Angeles area.^[16]

Politics[link]

Williams was close friends with Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, campaigning for Kennedy '68 for President. Williams was among the celebrities who were present at the Ambassador Hotel on the night Sirhan Sirhan killed RFK in June 1968. Williams solemnly sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic" at RFK's funeral, by request of widow Ethel. By August 1969, over a year after Bobby Kennedy's death, Andy and Claudine named their newborn son 'Bobby' Williams. The Williams' friendship with Ethel Kennedy has endured, with Williams even serving as escort to Ethel, during events in the 1970s. He also raised funds for George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign, performing at benefit concerts.^[17]

While close friends with the Democratic Kennedys, Williams is a lifelong Republican.^[18] On September 29, 2009, Williams was quoted by the Daily Telegraph as accusing President Barack Obama of "following Marxist theory" and "wanting the country to fail".^[19][20] He gave Rush Limbaugh permission to use his recording of the song "Born Free" for the theme to the "Animal Rights Update" on his Limbaugh's radio show – in which a portion of the song is then followed by gunfire – saying "Hey, it's fine with me. I love what you're doing with it." The record company later blocked Limbaugh's use of the recording.^[21]

Discography[link]

Hit singles[link]

Albums[link]

Cadence Records[link]

Columbia Records[link]

Other labels[link]

Compilations[link]

• (see Cadence Records list above for 3 previous compilations)
• 16 Most Requested Songs (1990), Columbia/Legacy
• 16 Most Requested Songs: Encore! (1995), Columbia/Legacy
• I Like Your Kind Of Love, The Best of the Cadence Years (1997), Varese Sarabande
• Hits From Cadence (1999), Victor – (Japan only)^{[citation needed]}
• In The Lounge With... Andy Williams (1999), Columbia Records/Sony Music UK
• Christmas Album (1999), Columbia Records/Sony Music UK
• The Very Best Of Andy Williams (2000), Columbia Records/Sony Music UK
• Complete Columbia Chart Singles Collection (2002), Taragon
• 25 All-Time Greatest Hits 1956–1961: The Cadence Years (2002), Varese Sarabande
• Best Of The 70s (2003), Columbia
• B Sides and Rarities (2003), Collectables
• The Essential Andy Williams (June, 2002), Columbia Records/Sony Music UK
• Moon River: The Very Best Of Andy Williams (2009), Columbia Records

Filmography[link]

• Janie (1944)
• Kansas City Kitty (1944)
• Ladies' Man (1947)
• Something in the Wind (1947)
• The Man in the Moon (1960)
• I'd Rather Be Rich (1964)
• Dorival Caymmi (1999) – documentary
• Sebring (2009) – documentary

References[link]

Notes

Sources

• BBC Radio Nottingham Interview

External links[link]

• Official website
• Andy Williams at the Internet Movie Database

Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson, 1965.
Background information
Born	(1938-04-20) April 20, 1938 (age 74) Jacksonville, Florida
Genres	country, pop
Occupations	singer, songwriter
Years active	Since 1957
Labels	Cadence Records MGM Records
Website	JohnnyTillotson.com

Johnny Tillotson (born April 20, 1938 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American singer and songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 top-ten hits on the pop, country and adult contemporary billboard charts including "Poetry In Motion" and the self-penned "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'". He also sang "Yellow Bird", an adaptation of the Haitian song, Johnny's version is quoted as being a favorite of the former head of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, because he and his wife had enjoyed it during their honeymoon. (BBC Interview)

Biography[link]

He is the son of Doris and Jack Tillotson, (Jack owned a small service station on the corner of 6th and Pearl in Jacksonville, he also acted as the station's mechanic], at the age of 9 he was sent to Palatka, Florida.^[1] to take care of his grandmother and returned to Jacksonville each summer to be with his parents when his brother Dan would go to his grandmother. He began to perform at local functions as a child, and by the time he was at Palatka Senior High School he had developed a reputation as a talented singer.^[2] He became a regular on the Toby Dowdy regional TV show in Jacksonville, and then had his own TV show on WFGA-TV.^[3] In 1957, while studying at the University of Florida, a local disc jockey, Bob Norris sent a tape of Johnny's singing to the Pet Milk talent contest, where he was chosen as one of the six National finalists, this gave him the opportunity to perform in Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM the Grand Ole Opry, which led Lee Rosenberg a Nashville publisher to take a tape to Archie Bleyer, owner of the independent Cadence Records.^[4] Bleyer signed Tillotson to a three-year contract, and issued his first single, "Dreamy Eyes" / "Well I'm Your Man" in September 1958. Both songs had been written by Tillotson, and both made the Billboard Hot 100, "Dreamy Eyes" peaking at # 63. After graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Communications, Tillotson moved to New York City to pursue his music career.^[1][2][5]

From late 1959, a succession of singles - "True True Happiness," "Why Do I Love You So," and a double-sided single covering the R&B hits "Earth Angel" and "Pledging My Love" - all reached the bottom half of the Hot 100. His biggest success came with his sixth single, the up-tempo "Poetry in Motion", written by Paul Kaufman and Mike Anthony, and recorded in Nashville with session musicians including saxophonist Boots Randolph and pianist Floyd Cramer, Released in September 1960, it went to # 2 on the Hot 100 in the US, and # 1 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1961. On Bleyer's advice, Tillotson focused primarily on his recording career, but also appeared on television and began to be featured as a teen idol in magazines. His follow-up record, "Jimmy's Girl," reached # 25 in the US charts and # 43 in the UK; after that, "Without You" returned him to the US Top Ten but failed to make the UK charts.^[1] He also toured widely as part of Dick Clark's Cavalcade Of Stars.^[4]

Early in 1962, Tillotson recorded a song he had written himself, "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'," inspired by the terminal illness of his father. It became one of his biggest hits, reaching # 3 in the US pop chart and becoming the first of his records to make the country music charts, where it peaked at # 4. It earned him his first Grammy nomination, for Best Country & Western Recording, and was later recorded by over 100 performers including Elvis Presley and Billy Joe Royal, whose version was a country hit in 1988.^[2] Tillotson then recorded an album, It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin', on which he covered several country standards including Hank Locklin's "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" and Hank Williams' "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)," which also became hit singles. He continued to record both country-flavored and pop songs in 1963, and "You Can Never Stop Me Loving You" and its follow-up, the Willie Nelson song "Funny How Time Slips Away," both made the Hot 100. He also appeared in the 1963 movie Just for Fun.^[1]

With the demise of the Cadence label, he formed his own production company and moved to MGM Records, starting with his version of the recent country charted #1 song by Ernest Ashworth, "Talk Back Trembling Lips," reached # 7 in January 1964 on Billboard's Hot 100. He earned his second Grammy nomination for "Heartaches by the Number," nominated for Best Vocal Performance of 1965, which reached #4 on the Adult Contemporary Charts. He also sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy Gidget. While his fortunes waned with changing musical tastes in the late 1960s, he continued to record, before moving to California in 1968. Besides concert and recording he also appeared in several films. He appeared in the 1966 camp comedy The Fat Spy starring Jayne Mansfield, which was featured in the 2004 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (#46). He also appeared in "Just For Fun" a British music film, the Japanese movie "Namida Kun Sayonara" after his number 1 Japanese hit of the same name and the Made for TV "The Call of the Wild".

In the 1970s, he recorded for the Amos, Buddha, Columbia and United Artists labels.^[2] He also performed in concerts, appearing in theaters, at State Fairs and Festivals, and in major hotels in Las Vegas and elsewhere.

In the early 1980s he charted briefly with "Lay Back In The Arms Of Someone" on Reward Records and it was during the 80's that his hits South East Asia had him appearing in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand on a regular basis along with tours in Japan and Hong Kong. In 1990 he signed with Atlantic records where he again charted briefly with "Bim Bam Boom."

In May 1991 his 22 year old daughter Kelly was killed in a car accident which devastated Johnny as well as his surviving son and family.

Johnny recorded for Charity in 1990's several Christmas songs with Freddy Cannon and Brian Hyland for the Children's Miracle network, produced by Michael Lloyd. "Come On A Sleigh Ride With Me" written by Michael is a new Christmas favorite. He also recorded with Tommy Roe and Brian Hyland, again for Michael Lloyd for Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer The Movie (1998), "We Can Make It."

In 2006 he was honored by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications with the Alumni of Distinction award. At that time less than one hundred persons had been so honored.

After a decade long absence in 2010 Johnny released a single "Not Enough" which is a tribute to the Military, Police, Fire and all uniformed personnel of the United States. It reached # 1 on the Indie country chart and the top 25 on the New Music weekly charts and was also a breakout single on the Music Row chart in Nashville. Johnny continues to write and perform in concert.

On March 23, 2011 Johnny Tillotson was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame alongside painter James F. Hutchinson. This is the highest honor that the State of Florida bestows on an individual citizen. Only 48 others have been so honored to date. Their plaques are on permanent display in the Florida State Capitol.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Compilations[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Johnny Tillotson official website

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)

The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers, Phil (left) and Don
Background information
Born	Don Everly: (1937-02-01) February 1, 1937 (age 75) Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, U.S. Phil Everly: (1939-01-19) January 19, 1939 (age 73) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Country, rockabilly, rock and roll
Years active	1957–73, 1983–present
Labels	Cadence, Warner Bros., RCA, Razor & Tie, Mercury
Website	everlybrothers.net
Members
Don Everly Phil Everly

The Everly Brothers, Don and Phil; born Isaac Donald "Don" Everly on February 1, 1937 and Phillip "Phil" Everly on January 19, 1939, are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing. The group was elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Style[link]

Don and Phil Everly are both guitarists and use vocal harmony mostly based on parallel thirds. With this, each line can often stand on its own as a melody line. This is in contrast to classic harmony lines which, while working well alongside the melody, are not as melodic by themselves.

For most of their recordings, Don sings the lower harmony part, while Phil takes the higher. One exception is on "Devoted To You". Although Don is still low and Phil is high, they switch lead and harmony back and forth. Don almost always sings any lines that are sung solo (for example, the verses of "Bye Bye Love".) Among the exceptions to this rule is the Everlys' 1965 single "It's All Over", where Phil sings the song's solo lines.

In the late 1950s, the Everly Brothers were the rock 'n' roll youth movement's addition to close harmony vocal groups of which many were family bands. Among the Everly's famous counterparts in country music were The Delmore Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, Jim & Jesse (McReynolds) and The Osborne Brothers.

The duo's harmony singing had a strong influence on rock groups of the 1960s. The Beatles,^[1] The Beach Boys^[2] and Simon & Garfunkel developed their early singing styles by performing Everly covers.

History[link]

Early career[link]

Don was born in Brownie, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, and Phil two years later in Chicago, Illinois. Their father, Ike Everly, was a musician.^[3] Ike, with Merle Travis, Mose Rager, and Kennedy Jones, was honored by the construction of The Four Legends Fountain in Drakesboro, Kentucky. Ike Everly had a show on KMA and KFNF in Shenandoah, Iowa, in the 1940s, with his wife Margaret and two young sons. Singing on the show gave the brothers their first exposure to the music industry. The family sang together live and traveled in the area singing as the Everly Family. The Everly Brothers grew up from ages 5 and 7 through early high school in Shenandoah. (Their boyhood home is being restored and will be donated to the Shenandoah Historical Society in the spring of 2009.) They are the cousins of actor James Best.

As the brothers transitioned out of the family act and into a duo, family friend Chet Atkins became an early champion of The Everly Brothers.^[4] Despite his affiliation with RCA Records, it was Atkins who engineered a chance for The Everly Brothers to record for Columbia Records in early 1956. However, their first and only single for the label, "Keep A' Lovin' Me", was a flop, and they were quickly dropped from Columbia.

Atkins still encouraged the Everly Brothers to continue, and introduced them to Wesley Rose of Acuff-Rose music publishers. Impressed with the duo's songwriting talents, Rose told them that if they signed to Acuff-Rose as songwriters, he would also get them a recording deal. The duo signed to Acuff-Rose in late 1956, and by early 1957 Rose had introduced them to Archie Bleyer, who was looking for artists for his Cadence Records label. The Everlys signed to Cadence, and entered the recording studio for their first Cadence session in February 1957.^[4]

Promotional portrait featuring the Everly Brothers, circa 1958

Their first Cadence single, "Bye Bye Love", had been rejected by 30 other acts ^[4] (including Elvis Presley)^{[citation needed]}, but the Everlys saw potential in the song. Their recording of "Bye Bye Love" reached #2 on the pop charts behind Presley's "Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear", hitting #1 on the Country and #5 on the R&B charts.^[4] The song, written by the husband and wife Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, became the Everly Brothers' first million-seller.

They became stalwarts of the Cadence label. Working with the Bryants, the duo had hits in the United States and the United Kingdom, the biggest being "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", "Bird Dog" and "Problems", all penned by the Bryants. The Everlys also found success as songwriters, especially with Don's "(Till) I Kissed You", which hit #4 on the US pop charts.^[5]

The brothers toured extensively with Buddy Holly during 1957 and 1958. According to Holly biographer Philip Norman, they were responsible for the change in style for Holly and The Crickets from Levi's and T-shirts to the Everlys' sharp Ivy League suits. Don claimed Holly to be a generous songwriter who wrote the song "Wishing" for them, while Phil later stated: "We were all from the South. We'd started in country music."^[6]

Phil Everly was one of Buddy Holly's pallbearers at his funeral in February 1959, although Don did not attend. He later said, "I couldn't go to the funeral. I couldn't go anywhere. I just took to my bed."^[6]

The 1960s and 1970s[link]

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After three years on the Cadence label, the Everlys signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1960,^[3] for a reported 10-year, multi-million dollar deal. They continued to have hits for Warner Brothers and their first, 1960's "Cathy's Clown" (written by Don and Phil) sold eight million copies, making it the duo's biggest-selling record. "Cathy's Clown" was number WB1, the first release in the United Kingdom by Warner Bros. Records.

We're not Grand Ole Opry ... we're obviously not Perry Como ... we're just pop music. But, you could call us an American skiffle group!

—NME - November 1960^[7]

Other successful Warner Brothers singles followed, such as "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" (1960, Pop #7), "Walk Right Back" (1961, Pop #7), "Crying In The Rain" (1962, Pop #6), and "That's Old Fashioned" (1962, Pop #9, their last Top 10 hit). From 1960 to 1962, Cadence Records also continued to release Everly Brothers singles from the vaults: these included the top ten hit "When Will I Be Loved" (written by Phil, Pop #8) and the top 40 hit "Like Strangers", as well as lower-charting singles. By 1962, the Everly Brothers had earned $35 million dollars from record sales.

However, shortly after signing with Warner Brothers, the Everlys fell out with their manager Wesley Rose, who also administered the Acuff-Rose music publishing company. Consequently for a period in the early 1960s, the Everlys were shut off from Acuff-Rose songwriters. These included Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who had written the majority of the Everlys' hits, as well as Don and Phil Everly themselves, who were still contracted to Acuff-Rose as songwriters and had written several of their own hits. With proven sources of hit material unavailable, from 1961 through early 1964 the Everlys recorded a mix of covers and songs by other writers in order to avoid paying royalties to Acuff-Rose. They also used the collective pseudonym "Jimmy Howard" as writer and/or arranger on two tracks—a move that was ultimately unsuccessful, as Acuff-Rose legally assumed the copyrights to these songs once the ruse was discovered.

Around this same time, the brothers also set up their own record label, Calliope Records, to release independent solo projects. As "Adrian Kimberly", Don recorded a big-band instrumental version of "Pomp and Circumstance" that was arranged by Neal Hefti, and charted in the US top 40 in mid-1961. Further instrumental single releases credited to Kimberly followed over the next year, but none of these follow-ups charted. Phil, meanwhile, formed a group called The Keestone Family Singers which also featured Glen Campbell and Carole King. Their lone single, "Melodrama", failed to chart, and by the end of 1962, Calliope Records was no more.

The brothers never stopped working as a duo during this time, but their last US Top Ten hit was 1962's "That's Old Fashioned," a song previously recorded (but unreleased) by the Chordettes, and given to the Brothers by their old mentor, Archie Bleyer. Succeeding years saw the Everly Brothers selling many fewer records in the United States. Their enlistment in the United States Marine Corps in November 1961 also took them out of the spotlight; one of their few performances during their Marines stint was an on-leave appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing "Jezebel" and "Crying In The Rain".

After the Marine Corps, the brothers resumed their career, but US chart success was limited. Of the 27 singles the Everly Brothers released on Warner Brothers from 1963 through 1970, only three made the Hot 100, and none peaked higher than #31. Album sales were also down. The Everlys' first two albums for Warner (in 1960 and 1961) both peaked at #9 US—but after that, though they went on to release a dozen more LPs for Warner Brothers, only one made the top 200 (1965's Beat & Soul, which topped out at #141.) Their dispute with Acuff-Rose lasted until 1964, at which point the brothers once again began writing some of their own material, as well as working with the Bryants again.

By then the brothers' personal lives had gone through serious upheavals. Both were addicted to speed for a while. Don's condition was made worse because he was taking the then unregulated drug Ritalin which led to deeper trouble. Don's addiction lasted three years and eventually he was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown and help for his addiction to Ritalin.^[8] It was during this troubled time the duo embarked on a UK tour. Don was unable to complete the tour and returned to the US leaving Phil to carry on with their bass player, Joey Page, taking the place of Don.

Performing on the 1970 Johnny Cash summer replacement show.

Their stardom had begun to wane two years before the British Invasion in 1964 — although their appeal remained strong in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and elsewhere.

By 1965, the duo took a back seat to the new sound of the beat boom — including bands like The Beatles, who were highly influenced by, ironically, the Everly Brothers. But if their fortunes in the States were fading, the Everlys remained a successful act in the UK and Canada throughout most of the 1960s, reaching the top 40 in the United Kingdom with singles through 1968, and the top 10 in Canada as late as 1967. The 1966 album Two Yanks in England was a reflection of the Everlys' popularity in the U.K.; the album was recorded in England with backup by major UK chart act The Hollies, who also wrote many of the album's songs.

Towards the end of the 1960s, the Everly Brothers returned to an emphasis on their country-rock roots, and their 1968 album Roots is touted by some critics as "one of the finest early country-rock albums".^[9] However, by the end of the 1960s, the Everly Brothers were no longer hitmakers in either North America or the United Kingdom, and in 1970 their contract with Warner Bros. lapsed after ten years. In 1970, they were the summer replacement hosts for Johnny Cash's television show. In 1970, Don Everly released his first solo album, but it was not a success. The Everly Brothers resumed performing in 1971, and signed a contract with RCA Records, for whom they issued two albums in 1972 and 1973. The duo broke up shortly thereafter, amidst much acrimony. They reportedly did not speak to each other for the better part of a decade, except at their father's funeral.

The solo years: 1973–83[link]

After the split, Phil and Don Everly pursued solo careers during a decade apart. Don found some success on the US country charts in the mid to late 1970s, in Nashville with his band Dead Cowboys, and playing with Albert Lee.

Phil sang back-up vocals on two songs for Warren Zevon's 1976 album Warren Zevon.^[10]

In 1979, Don Everly recorded a duet with Emmylou Harris, "Everytime You Leave", on her album "Blue Kentucky Girl".^[11]

Phil, meanwhile, recorded less frequently, and with no real chart success until the 1980s. However, Phil did write "Don't Say You Don't Love Me No More" for the hit Clint Eastwood comedy film, Every Which Way But Loose (1978) in which he performed it as a duet with co-star, Sondra Locke. He also wrote "One Too Many Women In Your Life" for the sequel, Any Which Way You Can (1980) where he could be seen playing in the band behind Sondra's performance.

Then, in 1983, Phil enjoyed significant UK success as a soloist with the album Phil Everly, recorded mainly in London. Session musicians on the LP included Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, Rockpile drummer Terry Williams, and keyboard player Pete Wingfield. The track "She Means Nothing To Me", written by John David Williams and featuring Cliff Richard as co-lead vocalist, was a UK Top 10 hit, and "Louise" reached the Top 50 in 1983.

Reunion and subsequent activities: 1983–present[link]

The brothers got back together in 1983. Their reunion concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 23, 1983, was instigated by English guitarist Albert Lee (who was also the concert's musical director). This concert spawned a well-received live LP and video.

The brothers then returned to the studio as a duo for the first time in over a decade, resulting in the album EB '84, produced by Dave Edmunds. Lead single "On the Wings of a Nightingale", written by Paul McCartney, was a minor success and returned them to the US and UK charts.

They then earned a final charting country-music hit with "Born Yesterday" in 1986 from the album of the same name. During this time Don's son, Edan Everly, would often join the Everly brothers on stage to sing and play guitar. The brothers also sang vocals with Paul Simon on the Grammy award-winning title track to Simon's album Graceland.

Even though the brothers have not produced studio albums since 1989's Some Hearts, they tour and perform. They have collaborated with other performers, usually singing either backup vocals or duets.

Phil has been especially active in this regard. In 1990 he recorded a vocal duet with Dutch singer René Shuman. "On Top of the World" was written by Phil and appeared in the music video they recorded in Los Angeles. The track appeared on Shuman's album Set the Clock on Rock. In 1994, a new recording of "All I Have to Do Is Dream", featuring Cliff Richard and Phil sharing vocals, was a UK Top 20 hit.

In 1998, the brothers recorded the song "Cold" for the concept album of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's Whistle Down the Wind, and the recording was later used in stage versions as a "song on the radio."

In 1999, Don Everly and his son Edan Everly did a benefit show billed as The Everly Brothers for Kentucky flood relief.

In 2004 a compilation entitled "Country Classics" was released. This consists of tracks recorded in 1972 and 1985.

In 2006, Phil Everly sang a duet, "Sweet Little Corrina", with country singer Vince Gill on his album These Days.^[12] He previously supplied harmony vocals on J.D. Souther's "White Rhythm and Blues" on his 1979 album You're Only Lonely.

Legacy[link]

The Everly Brothers had 26 Billboard Top 40 singles and 35 Billboard Top 100 singles. They hold the record for the most Top 100 singles by any duo, and trail only Hall & Oates for the most Top 40 singles by a duo.

In 1986, the Everlys were among the first 10 artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During the ceremony, they were introduced by Neil Young, who observed that every musical group he belonged to had tried and failed to copy the Everly Brothers' harmonies. That year on July 5, the Everlys returned to their boyhood home of Shenandoah to a crowd of 8,500 for a concert, parade, street dedication, class reunion and other activities. Concert fees were donated to The Everly Family Scholarship Fund which gives scholarships to middle and high school students in Shenandoah every year.

In 1997, they were awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.^[13] Their pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The Everly Brothers have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked The Everly Brothers^[14][15] #33 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Times.^[16][17] They are also #43 on the list of UK Best selling singles artists of all time.^[18]

They were also songwriters, penning "Till I Kissed You" (Don), "Cathy's Clown" (Don and Phil), and "When Will I Be Loved" (Phil). "Cathy's Clown" and "When Will I Be Loved" later became hits for Reba McEntire and Linda Ronstadt, respectively; (for the latter, the Everly Brothers sang the chorus). Also, the Norwegian band a-ha covered "Crying In The Rain" in 1990 for their fourth album, East of The Sun, West of The Moon.

The Bee Gees acknowledged that they would sing in the style of the Everlys and then add a third harmony.^{[citation needed]} This is evident on the Bee Gees' 1967 hit, "New York Mining Disaster 1941".^{[citation needed]}

Paul McCartney paid tribute by mentioning "Phil and Don" in his 1976 million-seller, "Let 'Em In".

They still perform occasionally, despite having declared their retirement. They joined Simon & Garfunkel as the featured act in Simon and Garfunkel's Old Friends reunion tour of 2003 and 2004. As a tribute to the Everly Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel opened their own show and had the Everlys come out in the middle. The live album of the tour Old Friends: Live on Stage contains Simon and Garfunkel discussing the Everlys' influence on their career, and features all four performers joining in on "Bye Bye Love" (The subsequent DVD features two extra solo performances by the Everlys). For Paul Simon, it was not the first time he had performed with his heroes. In 1986, The Everlys sang background vocals on the title track of Simon's album Graceland.

On Labor Day Weekend 1988, Central City Kentucky began The Everly Brothers Homecoming event to raise money for a scholarship fund for Muhlenberg County students. The Homecoming became a popular annual event for fourteen years, ending in 2002. Don and Phil toured the United Kingdom in 2005 and Phil appeared in 2007 on recordings with Vince Gill and Bill Medley. Also in 2007, country singer Alison Krauss and former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant released "Raising Sand" which included a cover of the 1964 hit single, "Gone, Gone, Gone" produced by T-Bone Burnett.

Don Everly's daughter, Erin Everly, was briefly married to the front man of Guns N' Roses, Axl Rose.

Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis named his son, Everly, after the members of the band.

Throughout the 1950s, The Everly Brothers used Gibson J-200 guitars, some with dual white pickguards. In 1962, Gibson Guitar Corporation collaborated with the brothers to produce the Gibson Everly Brothers Flattop, a signature acoustic guitar.

Today, Phil Everly is involved with his own musical instrument accessories company. Everly Music Company produces products designed by Phil and Jason Everly, Phil's eldest son, for guitar and bass.

The late singer and songwriter Elliott Smith made reference to the song "Cathy's Clown" in his "Waltz #2":

The Beatles based the vocal arrangement of "Please Please Me" upon "Cathy's Clown".^[19]

Keith Richards called Don Everly "one of the finest rhythm players".^[20]

Jack White, and The Raconteurs, featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe,in their acoustic version of "Old Enough", reference "Wake Up Little Susie" in a portion of the bridge.

Discography[link]

See also[link]

Biography portal

• Gibson Everly Brothers Flattop

References[link]

External links[link]

	Book: The Everly Brothers
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official website
• The Everly Brothers at Allmusic
• The Everly Brothers interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969).

Cadence Weapon (born c. 1986) is the stage name of Rollie Pemberton, a Canadian rapper.^[1]

Biography[link]

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, his father was Teddy Pemberton, a pioneering hip hop DJ on CJSR-FM, and his grandfather was Rollie Miles, a football player for the Edmonton Eskimos.^[2] He began rapping at 13, and following high school he briefly attended journalism school, dropping out soon afterward to concentrate on music.^{[citation needed]} He released the underground mix tape Cadence Weapon is the Black Hand in 2005, and his full-length debut Breaking Kayfabe at the end of the year. Breaking Kayfabe has garnered strong reviews in Canadian, American and British media, and Cadence has toured extensively to support the disc, including concerts across Canada and three shows in Austin, Texas at the 2006 South by Southwest festival. Cadence has said in an interview what inspired him to go into music as a career: "It was around me all the time when I was growing up, my dad was a DJ and he would play all sorts of stuff around the house, Hip hop, electro, funk and my mum would play piano. And I suppose I just randomly got into rapping. I remember rapping in math class, I failed maths, but I suppose I did OK in other things." ^[3] Cadence has said that he is inspired by dance music: "I’m a big Basement Jaxx fan. I like they [sic] way their music sounds really like it’s a party happening. It sounds really organic and super-tech. Switch. Obviously Daft Punk. I’m into very European stuff. I like some of the Ed Banger stuff. Dubsided Records." ^[4]

Chart magazine named Cadence Weapon one of the 15 Canadian artists to watch in 2006. In addition, composite review site Metacritic lists Breaking Kayfabe as one of the best albums of 2006.

In addition to his own recordings, Cadence Weapon has also remixed tracks for Lady Sovereign^[1] and Ciara, and has written hiphop reviews for Stylus and Pitchfork Media.

Cadence Weapon was nominated for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize,^[1] which awards $20,000 for the Canadian album of the year. However, he lost to Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds. Coincidentally, the Toronto alternative newspaper Eye weekly's cover photograph the Thursday before the award was presented featured both Cadence Weapon and Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett adopting a mock confrontational pose. The accompanying article, in fact, revealed that Cadence and Pallett had become friends and both really admired each other's records. Cadence and Pallett also performed together on the CBC Radio concert series Fuse in April 2007.

On February 21, 2007, Pemberton announced that he signed an American record deal with Epitaph Records sublabel ANTI-, a move that will give him greater exposure in the United States. As a part of his new deal, Breaking Kayfabe was released in the US on March 13, 2007. In the fall of 2007, Big Dada became Cadence Weapon's representative label in Europe.

He also accompanied Final Fantasy on part of his 2007 tour.

Cadence Weapon's second LP, Afterparty Babies was released by Anti-/Epitaph on March 4, 2008. In 2008 he also played at ZXZW in Holland.

He has also been a guest performer on music by other artists, including Super Extra Bonus Party's "Radar" and Shout Out Out Out Out's "Coming Home".

On May 26, 2009 Cadence Weapon was sworn in as Edmonton's poet laureate for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2009, and as such is expected serve as an ambassador of the literary arts, as well as creating original works.^[2][5]

In 2011, he participated in the National Parks Project, collaborating with musicians Laura Barrett and Mark Hamilton and filmmaker Peter Lynch to produce and score a short film about Alberta's Waterton Lakes National Park.

Cadence Weapon released the album Hope in Dirt City on May 29, 2012.^[6]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Breaking Kayfabe (2005)
• Afterparty Babies (2008)
• Hope in Dirt City (2012)

Mixtapes[link]

• Cadence Weapon is the Black Hand (2005)
• Separation Anxiety (2009)
• Tron Legacy (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site