Lenny Welch

Singer Lenny Welch was born Leon Welch on May 15, 1938 in Asbury Park, NJ. He started singing as a youngster, assembling groups, and participating in talent-shows. In his late teens, Welch and group auditioned for Decca Records in New York. The executives loved Lenny, as they called Leon, it flowed better so he kept the name but had no interest in the others. Decca recorded Lenny solo on a couple of promising 45's but the sales were dismal. Two years passed before his next break. Coley Wallace, a prize fighter, introduced Lenny to Archie Bleyer the owner of Cadence Records. The association clicked and "You Don't Know Me" was his first release, it made some noise, but it was the second Cadence single "Since I Fell For You," a #5 Pop hit in 1963 that brought the mass sells and accolades; he also scored with "Ebb Tide," and was on his way to becoming another Johnny Mathis when two devastating circumstances occurred. For starters, and reasons unknown, Archie Bleyer folded Cadence in September of 1964, the label he started in December 1952. (Cadence had built the careers of many artists including Andy Williams, the Everly Brothers, and Johnny Tillotson; Andy Williams purchased the companies' masters from Bleyer and reissued them on his Barnaby label, but signed with Columbia Records to release his new recordings, while Bleyer retired to Wisconsin.) Lenny's last Cadence release "If You See My Love," in 1964 charted at #92. He also contributed vocals to Eddie Harris' 1964 LP Cool Sax, Warm Heart. But after a couple of hits and one LP release Since I Fell for You in 1963, Lenny was shopping for a new deal. The second setback came from Uncle Sam. Lenny kept involved in music while serving his country. He did record hops and weekend dates to promote his new releases on Kapp...