Archie Bleyer

Archie Bleyer had a long career in the music business as a bandleader, recording artist, producer, and label owner. He will be principally remembered as the founder of Cadence Records, which had hits in the 1950s and early 1960s with Andy Williams, the Chordettes, Johnny Tillotson, Lenny Welch, and Bleyer himself. He'll be most remembered, though, as the man who produced the Everly Brothers in the late 1950s, when the duo had most of their biggest and most famous hit singles. Bleyer's roots were in the big band era. He was leading his own dance band by 1934, which recorded for Brunswick in the 1930s, and featured Johnny Mercer, who went on to be an important label entrepreneur himself (at Capitol Records). He worked in radio and television in the 1940s and 1950s, leading the orchestra on Arthur Godfrey's TV programs. At the end of 1952 he started Cadence Records, primarily to record one of the Godfrey television stars, singer Julius LaRosa. Cadence recorded other regulars from the Godfrey series, and also put out records by Bleyer himself. One of those, the tango "Hernando's Hideaway" (from the musical Pajama Game), made #2 in 1954, and Bleyer also had a small hit in 1956 with the Steve Allen song "The Rockin' Ghost." With Andy Williams and the Chordettes, Bleyer edged toward a more contemporary sound that, while not quite rock'n'roll, at least used material that was rock-influenced (or covers of songs by more genuine rock artists). In 1956 Bleyer had rejected a demo tape for the Everly Brothers, who had already recorded unsuccessfully for Columbia. A few months later, however, he signed them to a contract after a recommendation from heavyweight music publisher Wesley Rose. From the Everlys' first hit ("Bye Bye Love") to the end of the 1950s, Bleyer was their...