Paul David Wilson
Encyclopedia
Paul David Wilson is a songwriter
, composer
, conductor
, and music producer
. Most of his professional life has been devoted to music, including composing for radio and TV commercials, he was became the president of a start-up record label begun by Frank Thomas, who was then the starring player on the Chicago White Sox
baseball team. Wilson suffered a massive and debilitating stroke
when he was 46 years old. Due to the terribly limiting effects of aphasia
, a common but complicated and severe post-stroke condition, he was for a number of years unable to communicate without great difficulty. His fight back to full functioning has been a decade-long challenge that, although largely successful, in many ways still continues.
, Illinois
. He was third son to father, Herbert, a classical tenor vocalist and choir director who taught elementary school and retired after becoming a vice-principal of the school. Paul’s mother, Odessa, was a child prodigy who grew to become a concert pianist and choir director. She was accomplished in a variety of music genres, but due to her commitment to God, only performed certain styles of music. Paul’s early lessons on piano came from his mother, and he grew up absorbing the classical
and gospel music
of the choirs and vocal ensembles his parents directed.
While still of pre-school age, Paul began composing simple songs and by the time he began primary school had learned to musically notate the songs he composed. At age 12, Paul began organizing "street corner" vocal ensembles to perform his songs at parties and selected school functions. At 13, he discovered the flute and it soon became his major instrument. Paul attended James H. Bowen High School in Chicago.
He remembers the day when he was a still-young teenager and "my mother dragged me to a seminar on how to create commercial
jingles." The presenters were Dick Marx
, whose young son would later become a pop music star known as Richard Marx
, who was then Chicago’s most prominent master of music for Radio and TV commercials, and Dr. Thomas Fabish, the concert master of DePaul University
’s music department. The presentation involved a big band, top-notch singers and a film. Even as he listened, Paul was thinking, "I could do that."
In Paul’s fourth year of high school, a friend, Arlene Johnson, persuaded him to run for class president. He was elected Senior Class President of Bowen in 1970.
Inspired by Primous Fountain III, a young composer at DePaul University, Paul enrolled and majored in music composition and theory. He studied music composition with Dr. Leon Stein, Dr. Phil Winsor and Darlene Cowles, while taking flute with Philip Seeburg and Joseph Kainz. In 1973, he was one of 20 music students from around the U.S. selected by Ron Logan
of Walt Disney Entertainment
to participate in a professional "work experience." Paul remembers it as one of the major highlights of his college career. He wrote at that time in August 1973:
During his study at DePaul, he founded, performed in, and composed for many ensembles and often organized concerts and productions that featured works by him and others. In his senior year, Paul was honored by inclusion in "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges" and graduated in 1975 with a B.A. in music composition and theory.
("Bend Me, Shape Me
"). Paul started this "job" as an unpaid go-fer, answering phones and doing basic clerical chores. After two months, Paul was eager for a chance to show what he could contribute and saw the situation as an opportunity. "Chuck and his writing partner had parted ways and he needed someone to help finish a project. I was around and available and had the skills. I had to ask him, what are you waiting for?" Once Paul had called attention to his talents, Colbert began using him as a composer and arranger.
A short time later, in the Summer of 1974, Paul met a young musician who was just completing his military service, Danny Leake. At the time, Danny was a talented songwriter and electric guitar player, but would later become one of America’s foremost recording studio engineers and one of Paul’s closest and most frequent collaborators.
In the Fall of 1975, Danny played a significant role in Paul’s life by introducing him to Ian Levine
, a producer and songwriter, who was a celebrated member of the Europe
an black music fan base known as the Northern Soul
scene. In 1975, while working with Ian, Paul composed, arranged and produced for Dance
, R&B and Northern Soul recording artists, in the course of which he traveled in the U.S. and England. One of the Levine’s artists, "Evelyn Thomas scored a chart hit with her first single, reaching the UK Top 30 in 1976 with the single "Weak Spot," and "which was (co-written and) arrangement by Paul." As the writer, Neil Rushton, wrote in a review which appeared in Black Echoes, "Paul put the incredible zinging, scurrying strings in "Your Magic Put A Spell In Me" performed by [L.J Johnson Ian Levine
] for Ian Levine productions and also served as the songwriter and arranger for the "1976 Disco classic, originally sung so wonderfully by the late great James Wells, called "Baby I'm Still The Same Man."
Despite the success and trans-Atlantic travel he was experiencing, Paul still lived at home with his mother and father. One day in early 1976, while diligently making "cold calls" from his parents’ basement in hopes of drumming up some fresh music opportunities, Paul found himself talking to Jerry Butler
, a fellow Chicagoan who was already well known in American soul music
. Butler had (with Curtis Mayfield
) been one of the original founding members of The Impressions and then established a long later career as a celebrated solo artist. That lucky phone call not only gave Paul a chance to meet Butler, but soon led to the opportunity to work with him on a few projects, including three albums "Suite For The Single Girl"
, "It All Comes Out In My Song" (title song) and Thelma (Houston) & Jerry for the Motown label. Subsequently, Paul and Butler they produce an album on Dee Dee Sharp
-Gample with Philadelphia International. Billboard said, "writer/co-producer Paul Wilson’s "Invitation" is a regal, touching trumph that alone would have made for worthwhile album." In 1981 with "Breaking and Entering" / "Easy Money," from Sharp-Gamble's album "Dee Dee", Paul’s production spent four weeks at number one on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and Dance Chart Billboard.
After two years of working with Chuck Colbert and learning the myriad business-related details one must to be successful in commercial music production, in 1976, at age 24, Paul founded Herschel Commercial, Inc ("I just named it Hershel Commercial, Inc. because it rhymed, he notes) with Maurice Earl, Arlene Johnson and, later, Bruce Montgomery
. His first client was Chicago-based Burrell Communications Group, LLC, founded by Tom Burrell. Although Anna Morris, the creative director of Burrell, thought Paul might benefit from a little more "seasoning" before going out on his own, he proclaimed with great certainty, "Look, I’m ready!" Now, as impressed with his confidence as with his talents, Morris awarded him a package of several arranging spots to produce for Coca-Cola. The tracks featured Kitty Heywood, a sweet-voiced soul singer who had already performed on a number of albums as well as commercials. Once produced, the spots were enthusiastically received, both at the ad agency and at the client. Paul was soon creating and producing a long list of memorable and award-winning spots for Burrell and many other ad agencies, often working with such established artists as: Phyllis Hyman
, Lena Horne
, Anita Baker
, Midnight Star
, Walter Jackson
, The Dells
, Peabo Bryson
, Ada Dyer Vickie Winans
, Tramaine Hawkins, The Bar-Kays, Valerie Simpson, Joshie Jo Armstead
, Millie Jackson
and Rufus Thomas
.
Also of note is the score Paul composed for a television film "Happy Birthday, Martin" sung by Joshie Jo Armstead, which is on permanent display at the King Center
in Atlanta.
, Chicago’s largest and most celebrated advertising agency. Richards had been hired to facilitate Burnett’s efforts to identify promising new African American staffers and suppliers, so he was ready to talk business even on a weekend trip to his barber. On hearing the young composer’s story, Richards handed him a card, saying, "Call me… next week." Paul made sure he called Richards. That meeting was most fortunate for Paul and for Herschel. It set them on the path to success and helped establish their reputation with even the biggest and best clients, which included such major brand names as Kraft
, Quaker Oats, Campbell Soup Company
, United Airlines
, Kellogg Company
, Coca-Cola
, Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
, Anheuser Busch, Busch Entertainment, Disney-ABC Domestic Television, Mars Incorporated, Alberto-Culver
and Oprah Winfrey
’s Harpo Productions
(Oprah Winfrey
). In 1980, People magazine, they featured an article on Paul. The title was "Lookout. A Guide To The Up And Coming."
Paul says, "To be successful, you have to be a chameleon. You're paid to do a job, not to be a conscience." Paul wrote and composed many memorable TV and Radio music spots during the commercial phase of his career. Some of the many highlights include; "I Wanna Pop, I Wanna Shasta" for Shasta Beverages, "Sweet Talker, Betty Crocker" for Betty Crocker
, "Mmm, Ahh, Ohh, Pop ‘N Fresh Dough" for Pillsbury. "Until 1981, I was known for lavish, heartwarming arrangements," says Wilson, who is a classically trained flutist with degrees in composition and orchestration. "Then I had a hit with "I Wanna Pop! I Wanna Shasta!" and suddenly I was the rock ‘n’ roll guy, the king of the synthesizers."
Paul won a prestigious CLIO
award for his arranging work on the McDonalds commercial "Makin’ Music."
and composed both lyrics and music featuring Lee Montgomery "Calling Me Home, Chicago," a song written for a $10 million state tourism campaign, became so instantly popular that it was released as a single and sold through area record stores. Jan Zechman of Jan Zechman Associates said, "For Chicago Tourism, our advertising agency asked six local composers to create a musical centerpiece for our campaign. We expected the competition to be fierce. It was not. One airing of Paul's musical vision was enough to win him the job, and to help us create one of the most memorable and successful tourism campaigns in Chicago history. I believe in the power of words, but the power of Paul's music, his notes, proved mightier than any pen on this day." That song is widely regarded even today as one of the true "classic" songs of Chicago.
Ruth L. Ratny, the owner of the magazine "Screen" and editor, she wrote, "Among the most memorable for the Illinois Department of Tourism, are the unforgettable "Calling Me Home, Chicago." State tourism director Lynda Simon says isn’t surprised that Wilson was able to write words and that went a long way towards popularizing the agency’s first major television campaign. "He’s a very talented and creative person," says Simon, "and he’s a joy to work with."
." Eventually signed to Geffen Records
, the debut album entitled "Nikki" was released in the summer of 1989. One song, "Notice Me" was a hit, reaching #21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, bringing Paul honors from BMI
as writer and publisher of one of the most performed songs of the year.
In early 1989, Paul was called on by noted choral conductor Nathan Carter
to orchestrate Robert Ray’s "Gospel Mass" for a joint performance of the Morgan State University
Choir and the Detroit Symphony. Also in 1989, Paul was appointed conductor/artistic director for a concert series entitled "Classic Black" (Executive Produced by Valarie Norman). The first concert was given at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall
in April 1990.
Paul wrote:
In 1997, Wilson accepted an offer from Frank Thomas, "The Big Hurt" the star player and home run hitter of the Chicago White Sox
, to serve as President of Un-D-Nyable Entertainment
, an independent record label
. Paul agreed to run the label in partnership with Thomas.
Their initial release was a CD single entitled "3-5, The White Sox Got’em Open Up Wide," with Frank Thomas featuring D. Stoy. Paul discovered and signed Dejah Gomez, a precociously talented 14-year old singer and songwriter, and hired Cleo Powell, who had an established reputation locally for recognizing and nurturing talent, as the label’s A&R Director.
In 1998, Wilson hired Jun Mhoon, accomplished both as a musician and an executive at A&M Records, as Executive V.P. General Manager and Maurice White, formerly with Columbia Records, as Promotion Director and Jon Smith, Studio Manager. He also signed Entourage (James "Slique" Adams, Floyd Massey, Eric Wade and Irone Guyton, a R&B singing group), rapper Ant-Dub and STRONG, an R&B group that was a family of five brothers. He then secured the services of songwriters/producers, Jack & Earl and George Claiborne. He soon formed an alliance with the music distributors, Navarro.
In late 1998, Wilson produced the debut CD for Dejah Gomez ("Dejah") and Entourage ("The Fall Backs of a Playa") and matching videos for the CD songs and a CD single title "I Can’t Hide" featuring STRONG. In December, a single "When," by Entourage, they charted on Billboard. Soon, both Dejah Gomez and Entourage were starting to "take off," but, in January 1999, just as the action and excitement was building for his young record company, Paul Wilson suffered a stroke.
of left MCA with hemorrhagic transformation. Paul was told he’d have to accept lasting and severe restrictions on his ability to verbally communicate, due to the post-stroke condition known as Aphasia
.
Aphasia is the inability to speak, read, write or understand speech. Wilson was hospitalized at West Suburban Hospital Medical Center in Oak Park
and Northwestern Memorial Hospital
in Chicago. Subsequently, he went through rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
and Willowbrook
, where he met Edie Babbitt, M.Ed. who now works with Leora Cherney, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Medical School, doing aphasia research.
Paul wrote:
In need of a restful setting for his recuperation, Paul and his wife, Terry, relocated to Maui
in Hawaii
where they lived for five years. Paul eventually found and studied with Dr. Walter Tokishi, a speech therapist, but the scarcity of expert medical support to help him overcome the limitations imposed by his aphasia was still a drawback of living on Maui. In 2005, he returned to Chicago, where he began an intensive rehabilitation regimen, fiercely determined to resume his musical career.
(B-3, piano). One brother, Mark, died when he was an infant do to heart complication.
Paul has been married and divorced two times and has one stepchild:
" (Robert Duvall
, James Earl Jones
which also featured the song "Family Thing Blues" on the soundtrack. A film, "Signs," was used with Paul’s music jingle, "I Wanna Pop, I Wanna Shasta." His song titled, "Invitation" perform by Ada Dyer, was "sample" and then used another song entitled "Brown Sugar (fine)", with the film Brown Sugar, which performed by Mos Def
and produced by Kanye West
. (The film's credits of "Brown Sugar (fine)" was incorrect)
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, and music producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Most of his professional life has been devoted to music, including composing for radio and TV commercials, he was became the president of a start-up record label begun by Frank Thomas, who was then the starring player on the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
baseball team. Wilson suffered a massive and debilitating stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
when he was 46 years old. Due to the terribly limiting effects of aphasia
Aphasia
Aphasia is an impairment of language ability. This class of language disorder ranges from having difficulty remembering words to being completely unable to speak, read, or write....
, a common but complicated and severe post-stroke condition, he was for a number of years unable to communicate without great difficulty. His fight back to full functioning has been a decade-long challenge that, although largely successful, in many ways still continues.
Early Life
Paul David Wilson was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He was third son to father, Herbert, a classical tenor vocalist and choir director who taught elementary school and retired after becoming a vice-principal of the school. Paul’s mother, Odessa, was a child prodigy who grew to become a concert pianist and choir director. She was accomplished in a variety of music genres, but due to her commitment to God, only performed certain styles of music. Paul’s early lessons on piano came from his mother, and he grew up absorbing the classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
of the choirs and vocal ensembles his parents directed.
While still of pre-school age, Paul began composing simple songs and by the time he began primary school had learned to musically notate the songs he composed. At age 12, Paul began organizing "street corner" vocal ensembles to perform his songs at parties and selected school functions. At 13, he discovered the flute and it soon became his major instrument. Paul attended James H. Bowen High School in Chicago.
He remembers the day when he was a still-young teenager and "my mother dragged me to a seminar on how to create commercial
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
jingles." The presenters were Dick Marx
Dick Marx
Dick Marx was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials.-Personal:...
, whose young son would later become a pop music star known as Richard Marx
Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard"...
, who was then Chicago’s most prominent master of music for Radio and TV commercials, and Dr. Thomas Fabish, the concert master of DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
’s music department. The presentation involved a big band, top-notch singers and a film. Even as he listened, Paul was thinking, "I could do that."
In Paul’s fourth year of high school, a friend, Arlene Johnson, persuaded him to run for class president. He was elected Senior Class President of Bowen in 1970.
Inspired by Primous Fountain III, a young composer at DePaul University, Paul enrolled and majored in music composition and theory. He studied music composition with Dr. Leon Stein, Dr. Phil Winsor and Darlene Cowles, while taking flute with Philip Seeburg and Joseph Kainz. In 1973, he was one of 20 music students from around the U.S. selected by Ron Logan
Ron Logan
Ron Logan is a former executive vice president of Walt Disney Entertainment . After retiring from the company in 2001, he is now a professor at the University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando, Florida, United States.-Life and career:Growing up in Leavenworth,...
of Walt Disney Entertainment
Walt Disney Entertainment
Walt Disney Entertainment is the former wing of the Walt Disney Company that produced all shows and parades for Disney worldwide, including everything from the Disney created Super Bowl Half-time shows to theme parks. The division was altered on January 31, 2001, at the retirement of Executive...
to participate in a professional "work experience." Paul remembers it as one of the major highlights of his college career. He wrote at that time in August 1973:
During his study at DePaul, he founded, performed in, and composed for many ensembles and often organized concerts and productions that featured works by him and others. In his senior year, Paul was honored by inclusion in "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges" and graduated in 1975 with a B.A. in music composition and theory.
Career
In May 1974, while a senior at DePaul, he landed part-time employment at "Star Point 7," a music production company founded by Chuck Colbert, a producer/musician with a jazz-rock band, American BreedAmerican Breed
The American Breed was an American rock band that was formed in 1966 and disbanded in 1969, later evolving into Rufus.-Career:The group was formed in Cicero, Illinois as Gary & The Nite Lites. The group's greatest success was the single, "Bend Me, Shape Me," which reached number five on the U.S....
("Bend Me, Shape Me
Bend Me, Shape Me
"Bend Me, Shape Me" is a song written by Scott English and Larry Weiss. It was first recorded by The Outsiders as a track on their album The Outsiders In in 1966...
"). Paul started this "job" as an unpaid go-fer, answering phones and doing basic clerical chores. After two months, Paul was eager for a chance to show what he could contribute and saw the situation as an opportunity. "Chuck and his writing partner had parted ways and he needed someone to help finish a project. I was around and available and had the skills. I had to ask him, what are you waiting for?" Once Paul had called attention to his talents, Colbert began using him as a composer and arranger.
A short time later, in the Summer of 1974, Paul met a young musician who was just completing his military service, Danny Leake. At the time, Danny was a talented songwriter and electric guitar player, but would later become one of America’s foremost recording studio engineers and one of Paul’s closest and most frequent collaborators.
In the Fall of 1975, Danny played a significant role in Paul’s life by introducing him to Ian Levine
Ian Levine
Ian Levine is an English songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known fan of the long-running television show Doctor Who.Levine attended Arnold School in Blackpool from 1963 to 1970...
, a producer and songwriter, who was a celebrated member of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an black music fan base known as the Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
scene. In 1975, while working with Ian, Paul composed, arranged and produced for Dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, R&B and Northern Soul recording artists, in the course of which he traveled in the U.S. and England. One of the Levine’s artists, "Evelyn Thomas scored a chart hit with her first single, reaching the UK Top 30 in 1976 with the single "Weak Spot," and "which was (co-written and) arrangement by Paul." As the writer, Neil Rushton, wrote in a review which appeared in Black Echoes, "Paul put the incredible zinging, scurrying strings in "Your Magic Put A Spell In Me" performed by [L.J Johnson Ian Levine
Ian Levine
Ian Levine is an English songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known fan of the long-running television show Doctor Who.Levine attended Arnold School in Blackpool from 1963 to 1970...
] for Ian Levine productions and also served as the songwriter and arranger for the "1976 Disco classic, originally sung so wonderfully by the late great James Wells, called "Baby I'm Still The Same Man."
Despite the success and trans-Atlantic travel he was experiencing, Paul still lived at home with his mother and father. One day in early 1976, while diligently making "cold calls" from his parents’ basement in hopes of drumming up some fresh music opportunities, Paul found himself talking to Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler (singer)
Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician...
, a fellow Chicagoan who was already well known in American soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. Butler had (with Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
) been one of the original founding members of The Impressions and then established a long later career as a celebrated solo artist. That lucky phone call not only gave Paul a chance to meet Butler, but soon led to the opportunity to work with him on a few projects, including three albums "Suite For The Single Girl"
, "It All Comes Out In My Song" (title song) and Thelma (Houston) & Jerry for the Motown label. Subsequently, Paul and Butler they produce an album on Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp is an American R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961.-Career:...
-Gample with Philadelphia International. Billboard said, "writer/co-producer Paul Wilson’s "Invitation" is a regal, touching trumph that alone would have made for worthwhile album." In 1981 with "Breaking and Entering" / "Easy Money," from Sharp-Gamble's album "Dee Dee", Paul’s production spent four weeks at number one on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and Dance Chart Billboard.
Burrell Communications Group, LLC
Bruce Montgomery (entertainer)
Bruce Eglinton Montgomery was an American composer, author, musical theater performer and painter; and a conductor and director, particularly of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas....
. His first client was Chicago-based Burrell Communications Group, LLC, founded by Tom Burrell. Although Anna Morris, the creative director of Burrell, thought Paul might benefit from a little more "seasoning" before going out on his own, he proclaimed with great certainty, "Look, I’m ready!" Now, as impressed with his confidence as with his talents, Morris awarded him a package of several arranging spots to produce for Coca-Cola. The tracks featured Kitty Heywood, a sweet-voiced soul singer who had already performed on a number of albums as well as commercials. Once produced, the spots were enthusiastically received, both at the ad agency and at the client. Paul was soon creating and producing a long list of memorable and award-winning spots for Burrell and many other ad agencies, often working with such established artists as: Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...
, Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
, Anita Baker
Anita Baker
Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....
, Midnight Star
Midnight Star
Midnight Star is an R&B and electro-funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by trumpeter Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist...
, Walter Jackson
Walter Jackson (singer)
Walter Jackson was an American soul ballad singer who had a string of hits on the US R&B chart between the mid 1960s and early 1980s...
, The Dells
The Dells
The Dells are an R&B and crossover musical group. Their successful recordings spanned more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul, disco and contemporary rhythm and blues...
, Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
, Ada Dyer Vickie Winans
Vickie Winans
Vickie Winans is an American Gospel recording artist.-Biography:The seventh of twelve children, Vickie was born in Detroit, Michigan to Mattie A. Bowman, a housewife, and Aaron Bowman, a father who worked at various times as a laborer, contractor, carpenter and mason...
, Tramaine Hawkins, The Bar-Kays, Valerie Simpson, Joshie Jo Armstead
Jo Armstead
Josephine "Jo" Armstead , often known as "Joshie" Jo Armstead, is an American soul singer and songwriter. She co-wrote Ray Charles' hits "Let's Go Get Stoned" and "I Don't Need No Doctor", among other songs written with Ashford & Simpson...
, Millie Jackson
Millie Jackson
Mildred "Millie" Jackson is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter and comedienne. Three of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 copies....
and Rufus Thomas
Rufus Thomas
Rufus Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm and blues, funk and soul singer and comedian fromMemphis, Tennessee, who recorded on Sun Records in the...
.
Also of note is the score Paul composed for a television film "Happy Birthday, Martin" sung by Joshie Jo Armstead, which is on permanent display at the King Center
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site established on October 10, 1980, consists of several buildings surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn historic district of Atlanta, Georgia. The original Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where King...
in Atlanta.
Leo Burnett Worldwide
In 1977, a chance meeting at a barbershop brought Paul to the attention of Don Richards, a young vice-president and account executive at Leo Burnett WorldwideLeo Burnett Worldwide
Leo Burnett Worldwide is an American advertising company, created in 1935 by Leo Burnett. The company was opened in Chicago in 1935. In 1950 the company started its two first major advertising projects, for Kellogg’s and P&G....
, Chicago’s largest and most celebrated advertising agency. Richards had been hired to facilitate Burnett’s efforts to identify promising new African American staffers and suppliers, so he was ready to talk business even on a weekend trip to his barber. On hearing the young composer’s story, Richards handed him a card, saying, "Call me… next week." Paul made sure he called Richards. That meeting was most fortunate for Paul and for Herschel. It set them on the path to success and helped establish their reputation with even the biggest and best clients, which included such major brand names as Kraft
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, Quaker Oats, Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company , also known as Campbell's, is an American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey...
, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company , is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods...
, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company was an American brewery based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was once the largest producer of beer in the world. Its namesake beer, Schlitz, was known as "The beer that made Milwaukee famous" and was famously advertised with the slogan "When you're out of Schlitz,...
, Anheuser Busch, Busch Entertainment, Disney-ABC Domestic Television, Mars Incorporated, Alberto-Culver
Alberto-Culver
Alberto-Culver is an American corporation with international sales whose principal business is manufacturing hair and skin beauty care products under such brands as Alberto VO5, Andrew Collinge, St. Ives , TRESemmé, FDS, Consort, and Nexxus. It is a manufacturer in the multicultural beauty care...
and Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
’s Harpo Productions
Harpo Productions
Harpo Productions, Inc. is an incorporated US-based multimedia production company founded by Oprah Winfrey . It also includes Harpo Films & Harpo Radio, Inc....
(Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
). In 1980, People magazine, they featured an article on Paul. The title was "Lookout. A Guide To The Up And Coming."
Paul says, "To be successful, you have to be a chameleon. You're paid to do a job, not to be a conscience." Paul wrote and composed many memorable TV and Radio music spots during the commercial phase of his career. Some of the many highlights include; "I Wanna Pop, I Wanna Shasta" for Shasta Beverages, "Sweet Talker, Betty Crocker" for Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker AKA: batter witch is a cultural icon, as well as brand name and trademark of American Fortune 500 corporation General Mills. The name was first developed by the Washburn Crosby Company in 1921 as a way to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. The name Betty was...
, "Mmm, Ahh, Ohh, Pop ‘N Fresh Dough" for Pillsbury. "Until 1981, I was known for lavish, heartwarming arrangements," says Wilson, who is a classically trained flutist with degrees in composition and orchestration. "Then I had a hit with "I Wanna Pop! I Wanna Shasta!" and suddenly I was the rock ‘n’ roll guy, the king of the synthesizers."
Paul won a prestigious CLIO
CLIO
CLIO is the Cryogenic Laser Interferometer Observatory, a prototype detector for gravitational waves. It is testing cryogenic mirror technologies for the future Large Cryogenic Gravity Telescope ....
award for his arranging work on the McDonalds commercial "Makin’ Music."
Calling Me Home, Chicago
In 1985, Paul scored a true "crossover hit" when a song he’d created for Chicago Convention and Tourism BureauChicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
The Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, or CCTB, exists to promote Chicago to the global leisure travel and convention industries.The CCTB works in partnership with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the Chicago Office of Tourism, the City of Chicago, and the Illinois Department of...
and composed both lyrics and music featuring Lee Montgomery "Calling Me Home, Chicago," a song written for a $10 million state tourism campaign, became so instantly popular that it was released as a single and sold through area record stores. Jan Zechman of Jan Zechman Associates said, "For Chicago Tourism, our advertising agency asked six local composers to create a musical centerpiece for our campaign. We expected the competition to be fierce. It was not. One airing of Paul's musical vision was enough to win him the job, and to help us create one of the most memorable and successful tourism campaigns in Chicago history. I believe in the power of words, but the power of Paul's music, his notes, proved mightier than any pen on this day." That song is widely regarded even today as one of the true "classic" songs of Chicago.
Ruth L. Ratny, the owner of the magazine "Screen" and editor, she wrote, "Among the most memorable for the Illinois Department of Tourism, are the unforgettable "Calling Me Home, Chicago." State tourism director Lynda Simon says isn’t surprised that Wilson was able to write words and that went a long way towards popularizing the agency’s first major television campaign. "He’s a very talented and creative person," says Simon, "and he’s a joy to work with."
Recording and live performance
In 1987, because of his desire to re-enter the record business, Paul (with attorney Linda Mensch) discovered and produced a new artist, "NikkiNikki (singer)
Nikki was a Japanese-American musician, born in Okinawa, Japan and raised in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Signed to Geffen Records, he released one album, Nikki, in 1989. Three singles were released from the album: "Ooti Ooti" and "Notice Me" in 1990, and "If You Wanna" in 1991...
." Eventually signed to Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, the debut album entitled "Nikki" was released in the summer of 1989. One song, "Notice Me" was a hit, reaching #21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, bringing Paul honors from BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
as writer and publisher of one of the most performed songs of the year.
In early 1989, Paul was called on by noted choral conductor Nathan Carter
Nathan Carter
Nathan Carter is a Canadian actor born in Toronto, Canada. He is best known for his starring roles in Radio Free Roscoe as Travis. He has also guest starred on The Famous Jett Jackson and PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal.-Filmography:-References:...
to orchestrate Robert Ray’s "Gospel Mass" for a joint performance of the Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
Choir and the Detroit Symphony. Also in 1989, Paul was appointed conductor/artistic director for a concert series entitled "Classic Black" (Executive Produced by Valarie Norman). The first concert was given at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall
Symphony Center
Symphony Center is a music complex located at 220 South Michigan Avenue in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Sinfonietta, Symphony Center includes the 2,522-seat Orchestra Hall, which dates from 1904; Buntrock Hall, a rehearsal and...
in April 1990.
Paul wrote:
Un-D-Nyable Entertainment, Inc.
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, to serve as President of Un-D-Nyable Entertainment
Un-D-Nyable Entertainment
Un-D-Nyable Entertainment is a record label founded by Frank Thomas , the star player and home run hitter of the Chicago White Sox.-Label history:...
, an independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
. Paul agreed to run the label in partnership with Thomas.
Their initial release was a CD single entitled "3-5, The White Sox Got’em Open Up Wide," with Frank Thomas featuring D. Stoy. Paul discovered and signed Dejah Gomez, a precociously talented 14-year old singer and songwriter, and hired Cleo Powell, who had an established reputation locally for recognizing and nurturing talent, as the label’s A&R Director.
In 1998, Wilson hired Jun Mhoon, accomplished both as a musician and an executive at A&M Records, as Executive V.P. General Manager and Maurice White, formerly with Columbia Records, as Promotion Director and Jon Smith, Studio Manager. He also signed Entourage (James "Slique" Adams, Floyd Massey, Eric Wade and Irone Guyton, a R&B singing group), rapper Ant-Dub and STRONG, an R&B group that was a family of five brothers. He then secured the services of songwriters/producers, Jack & Earl and George Claiborne. He soon formed an alliance with the music distributors, Navarro.
In late 1998, Wilson produced the debut CD for Dejah Gomez ("Dejah") and Entourage ("The Fall Backs of a Playa") and matching videos for the CD songs and a CD single title "I Can’t Hide" featuring STRONG. In December, a single "When," by Entourage, they charted on Billboard. Soon, both Dejah Gomez and Entourage were starting to "take off," but, in January 1999, just as the action and excitement was building for his young record company, Paul Wilson suffered a stroke.
Health
On January 2, 1999, the stroke left the active and energetic 46-year old composer, producer and businessman suddenly and seriously disabled (CT). The doctors revealed that an ischemic CVAStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
of left MCA with hemorrhagic transformation. Paul was told he’d have to accept lasting and severe restrictions on his ability to verbally communicate, due to the post-stroke condition known as Aphasia
Aphasia
Aphasia is an impairment of language ability. This class of language disorder ranges from having difficulty remembering words to being completely unable to speak, read, or write....
.
Aphasia is the inability to speak, read, write or understand speech. Wilson was hospitalized at West Suburban Hospital Medical Center in Oak Park
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
and Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital for Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. It is the second tallest hospital in the United States and the fourth tallest hospital in the world...
in Chicago. Subsequently, he went through rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago , ranked the "#1 Rehabilitation in America" by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991 is a rehabilitation hospital located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It also operates a network of alliance hospitals and outpatient and day rehabilitation...
and Willowbrook
Willowbrook
Willowbrook may refer to some places in the United States:An institution or building* The John Sweek House in Tualatin, Oregon* Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois...
, where he met Edie Babbitt, M.Ed. who now works with Leora Cherney, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Medical School, doing aphasia research.
Paul wrote:
In need of a restful setting for his recuperation, Paul and his wife, Terry, relocated to Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
where they lived for five years. Paul eventually found and studied with Dr. Walter Tokishi, a speech therapist, but the scarcity of expert medical support to help him overcome the limitations imposed by his aphasia was still a drawback of living on Maui. In 2005, he returned to Chicago, where he began an intensive rehabilitation regimen, fiercely determined to resume his musical career.
Personal life
Paul has six brothers. They are: James Warren (classical/gospel organ, piano), Herbert Liston (Acoustic/electric bass), John Oland (vocalist), Mark Andrew, Steward Franklin(B-3, piano). One brother, Mark, died when he was an infant do to heart complication.
Paul has been married and divorced two times and has one stepchild:
- to married Marilyn Baynes from 1978 to 1982;
- to married Terry Moore from 1982 to 2005 with one stepdaughter, Carmen.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
He has been a Chicago Chapter Governor and National Trustee of The Recording Academy (NARAS) and active on its Education, Finance, Restructuring and Long Range Planning Committee. In the mid-1990s, he was Chicago Chapter President of The Recording Academy and later served as a trustee of the Winans Academy of Performing Arts.Awards
- Grammy "All Out" The Winans
- ClioCliothumb|Clio—detail from [[The Art of Painting|The Allegory of Painting]] by [[Johannes Vermeer]]In Greek mythology, Clio or Kleio, is the muse of history. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne...
US Television/Cinema – Best New Arrangements Of Commercial Themes – McDonalds – "Makin’ Music" - ClioCliothumb|Clio—detail from [[The Art of Painting|The Allegory of Painting]] by [[Johannes Vermeer]]In Greek mythology, Clio or Kleio, is the muse of history. Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne...
10 Awards - BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
Awards "Notice Me" - As writer and publisher of one of the most performed songs of the year. - CEBACEBACEBA may refer to:*A Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator; or*The Competitive Equality Banking Act of 1987, a piece of U.S. legislation....
"Family Is" - McDonalds - CEBACEBACEBA may refer to:*A Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator; or*The Competitive Equality Banking Act of 1987, a piece of U.S. legislation....
8 Awards
Media
Paul performed with the band "The Nightclub Band" on the film, "A Family ThingA Family Thing
A Family Thing is a 1996 film starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Irma P. Hall. It was written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson and directed by Richard Pearce.-Plot:...
" (Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
, James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
which also featured the song "Family Thing Blues" on the soundtrack. A film, "Signs," was used with Paul’s music jingle, "I Wanna Pop, I Wanna Shasta." His song titled, "Invitation" perform by Ada Dyer, was "sample" and then used another song entitled "Brown Sugar (fine)", with the film Brown Sugar, which performed by Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
and produced by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. (The film's credits of "Brown Sugar (fine)" was incorrect)
Discography
- 2002: Co-writer. Brown Sugar, "Brown Sugar(fine)," Mos DefMos DefDante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
. MCAMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. - 1998: Writer, Arranger, Producer, Executive Producer. Dejah, Dejah. Un-D-Nyable EntertainmentUn-D-Nyable EntertainmentUn-D-Nyable Entertainment is a record label founded by Frank Thomas , the star player and home run hitter of the Chicago White Sox.-Label history:...
- 1998: Executive Producer. The Fall Backs of a Playa, Entourage. Un-D-Nyable EntertainmentUn-D-Nyable EntertainmentUn-D-Nyable Entertainment is a record label founded by Frank Thomas , the star player and home run hitter of the Chicago White Sox.-Label history:...
- 1993: Arranger. "Been Good" All Out, The WinansThe WinansThe Winans are an American Gospel music quartet from Detroit, Michigan consisting of brothers Marvin, Carvin, Michael and Ronald Winans.-Members:Please refer to the Winans family page for more detail on the individual members.-Origins:...
, Qwest RecordsQwest RecordsQwest Records is the American record label started by Quincy Jones in 1980 as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records, and owned byWarner Music Group. although Quincy was still under contract with A&M records through 1981. George Benson's 1980 Give Me the Night LP was the first release on Qwest,...
, R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Producer. Grammy Award Winning Album - 1989: Co-writer, Arranger, Producer. Nikki, debut album, Geffen. Pop Top Twenty and BMI Award for "Notice Me."
- 1995: Writer, Arranger, Producer. "Calling Me Home, Chicago." Herschel Records.
- 1981: Writer, Arranger, Producer. Dee Dee, Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, Philadelphia International RecordsPhiladelphia International RecordsPhiladelphia International Records is a record label founded by writer-producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the sub-genre of Philadelphia soul music and released a string of worldwide hits during the decade.-History:...
. - 1979: Writer, Arranger, Producer. "Invitation," (title song), "Together," Norman ConnorsNorman ConnorsNorman Connors is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and headliner, who has led some influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads.-Biography:...
, Arista RecordsArista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
. - 1976: Writer, Arranger, Producer. "It All Comes Out in My Songs" (title song) and "I Still Remember How It Used to Feel," Jerry ButlerJerry Butler (singer)Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician...
, Motown RecordsMotown RecordsMotown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
. - 1976: Writer, Arranger, Producer. "Music In My Dreams," "Dreams Music," "Ms. Fine" and "Chalk It Up," Suite for the Single Girl, Jerry ButlerJerry Butler (singer)Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician...
. Motown RecordsMotown RecordsMotown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
. - 1976: Writer, Arranger. "Baby I’m Still The Same Man, James Wells. Polydor.
- 1975: Co-writer, Arranger. "Weak Spot," Evelyn Thomas, Twentieth Century Records. Top Ten Record in England.
- 1975: Arranger. "Your Magic Put A Spell On Me," L.J. Johnson, Philips RecordsPhilips RecordsPhilips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
. - 1975: Arranger. "24 Hours A Day, " Barbara Pennington." Casablanca RecordsCasablanca RecordsCasablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
Demography
| Year | Commercial |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#1. S.C. Johnson & Son, Scotch Brand, Aamco, Schlitz Malt Liquor featuring Maxine Weldon, Kraft Foods "Parkay", Gallery Homes, Turnstyle, DW Sugar, Con Edison, Coca Cola featuring Kitty Heywood |
| 1977 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#2. Danger Zone, Sears, McDonalds, Scotch Brand, Ultra Sheen, S,C. Johnson, Schlitz Malt Liquor, Car-X Muffler Shop, Gallery Homes, McDonalds, Coca Cola |
| 1978 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#3. Schlitz, Aamco, Harley-Davidson, McDonalds, Coca Cola, Johnson Products, McDonalds, Sunkist, Coca Cola, Ultra Sheen |
| 1979 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#4. RCA, Busch, Rice Krispies, McDonalds, Afro Sheen, Poppin" Fresh, Xxxxxx, Phillip Morris, Kelloggs, Coca Cola |
| 1980 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#5a. RCA Color, Kelloggs, Dubonet featuring Morgana King Morgana King Morgana King is an American singer and actress. She is a noted jazz singer, who is regarded as a "musician's singer." The musical œuvre of her stylized vocal artistry spans a period of more than four decades and has an "appeal that bridges generations, tastes and life styles"."She is, like all... , Kent, RCA - Two for the Money, RCA, Afro Soft, NBC, Sara Lee, Oldsmobile, Sears |
| Herschel Commercial, Inc.#5b. Ultra Sheen, McDonalds featuring Peobo Bryson, Nehi | |
| 1981 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#6. RCA, Kent, McDonalds, Busch, Church’s Fried Chicken, McDonalds featuring Tramaine Hawkins , Pillsbury, Sears, McDonalds, HCI |
| 1982 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#7. Upper Ten, RCA, Metamacil, Shasta "I Wanna Pop, I Wanna Shasta" featuring Kym Sims, American Bell, Illinois Bell, New Freedom, Shasta, RC 100, Stat Sof Fro, Coldwell Banker, RC Cola |
| 1983 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#8. Shasta "I Wanna Pop, I Wanna Shasta" featuring Al Jourenson, RC 100, Pert, Metamucil, Shasta, Coldwell Banker, New Freedom, Atari featuring Al Jourenson, Pillsbury "Mmm, Ahh, Ohh, Pop ‘N Fresh Dough", Stay Sof Fro, Upper Ten |
| 1984 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#9. Memorex, Betty Crocker, Ford, Spree featuring Valerie Simpson, Handi Snacks, Shasta, Allen Bradley, Pillsbury, Ore-Ida, Mirida, McDonalds |
| 1986 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#10. Illinois Bureau Tourism featuring Lee Montgomery, Sunkist Natural, Schlitz Red Bull, Michelob Light, Household Finance Co., Betty Crocker, "One Man" featuring Joshie Jo Armstead, Mrs. Smith’s Pie, Cap’n Crunch, Coke, Ore-Ida, White Cloud, Schlitz Liquor, Pillsbury Poppin’ Fresh Dough, American Banking, AM South, McDonalds |
| 1987 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#11a. Busch Gardens, Illinois Bureau Tourism, Spam, Mars Candy, East Ohio Gas, Schlitz Malt Liquor, Kraft Salad Dressing, Pillsbury Pastry Pockets |
| Herschel Commercial, Inc.#11b. Kelloggs Cocoa Crispies, Milton Bradley, Trans Ohio Bank, McDonalds | |
| 1988 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#12. Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, Combo’s, Ford, Illinois Lottery, HARPO, Inc. "Brewster Place", Union Electric, Cherry Berry Wine, Midway Airlines, Budweiser "Lou Rawls Lou Rawls Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"... ’ Parade", Pillsbury, Crest featuring Lena Horne Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the... , Pillsbury "Mmm, Ahh, Ohh, Pop ‘N Fresh Dough", Zayre, McDonalds |
| 1989 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#13. Michelob Dry, Nestle Corporation, Coast Soap, Tide, Campbell’s Teddy-O’s, Fisher Price, United Airlines, Soft Sheen, Illinois Bell featuring Angie Bofill, Noxema, Fisher Price, Clean Streak |
| 1990 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#14. Miller Lite, Frito Lite Lay Suprimo’s, Coca Cola featuring Anita Baker Anita Baker Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit.... , Quaker Oat Cereal "Tiny Toons", Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Polaroid, Coast Soap, Schlitz Malt Liquor, Ralston Purina, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Budweiser "Harry Caray, Schlitz Malt Liquor |
| 1994 | Herschel Commercial, Inc.#15. Löwenbräu, InsuranceOne, Steel Drums, FTD, River Casinos, Procter & Gamble, McDonalds, Coors Extra Gold, Busch Gardens. |