Tim Whitsett
Encyclopedia
Tim Whitsett is an American
music publisher, musician, songwriter, producer, author, and consultant. He was born in Jackson
, Mississippi
.
"Jive Harp" b/w "Pipe Dreams" was released on Imperial Records
when he was sixteen. With his band, The Imperials (later renamed the The Imperial Show Band
), he recorded over twenty singles in a variety of genres (R&B, Pop
, Instrumental
) for a number of labels, including Epic
, Ace
, Atlas, Capitol
, Lowery, Sue
, Island
, Musicor
and others, as well as for his own Rim Records.
In 1966, at the peak of tensions in Mississippi
over civil rights
, Whitsett introduced two new singers to his band, Tommy Tate and Dorothy Moore
, both black, and both later to achieve chart acclaim as solo artists. Considering the times and possible repercussions, the band from Mississippi
was extremely well received by both black and white southerners, as well as audiences in the Great Lakes
, Las Vegas
, Hollywood, Lake Tahoe
, New York City
and elsewhere.
Until disbanding the group in 1969, Whitsett wrote, produced, arranged, or played on numerous records for other artists, including The Vels
, Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, Huey "Piano" Smith & The Clowns, Bobby Marchan
, Junior Parker
, Paul Davis
, Barbara Lynn
, Sam Myers
, Dorothy Moore
and others.
Due to many personnel changes resulting from marriages and the military draft for the Vietnam War
, Whitsett dissolved The Imperial Show Band
. Shortly afterwards, in 1970, some demos the group had recorded ended up in the hands of noted producer Don Davis, who was then vice president of Stax Records
. The MGs were breaking up. Booker T. Jones
had just left the company, and Steve Cropper
would soon follow. Davis wanted Whitsett’s band to augment The Bar-Kays as a second house band for Stax.
However, Whitsett's musicians had now scattered, joining other bands in other parts of the country. Davis then signed Whitsett and Tommy Tate as producer/songwriters. But within days of arriving at Stax, Whitsett was asked to take charge of the company’s music publishing division, East/Memphis Music Corp., which included works written or recorded by Otis Redding
, Sam & Dave
, Al Green, Isaac Hayes
, Rufus Thomas
and Booker T. & the MGs. During his years with Stax, Whitsett was the motivating force behind the releases of million sellers, such as "I've Been Lonely For So Long
" (Frederick Knight
), "I'll Play the Blues For You" (Albert King
), and "Mr. Big Stuff" (Jean Knight
), among others.
In 1976, Whitsett resigned as president of East/Memphis when offered the opportunity to run Chrysalis Music
's European division in London
. Six years later, he took another senior management position in London with Chappell Music, prior to its acquisition by Warner Music Group
. He also forged a partnership with Chick Churchill
, keyboardist with British rock group Ten Years After
, in a record production and music publishing company, Whitsett Churchill Music.
At Chrysalis, then Chappell, Whitsett managed song catalogs that included works by David Bowie
, Jethro Tull
, The Chieftains
, Irving Berlin
, Cole Porter
, Chuck Berry
, George Gershwin
, Rodgers and Hammerstein
, etc.
In 1982, Whitsett set up a consultancy service for music publishers, which included specialized newsletters and target-marketing directories. Clients included EMI
, Chappell, Gamble and Huff
, Jobete, CBS Songs, Virgin
, MCA
, et al., as well as publishing companies owned by Paul McCartney
, Michael Jackson
and Elton John
.
Returning to the States, Whitsett founded Urgent! Records
. The label's roster included Bobby Rush
, The Dells
, Luther Ingram
, Tommy Tate, and Jerry Butler
.
The label was later folded into the Malaco Music Group, with whom Whitsett became associated in 1998. In addition to his work with Malaco Records
, Whitsett authored three music-publishing textbooks and a dictionary
of music business terms, while actively maintaining his consulting services for music publishers and copyright
investors.
In 2008, Whitsett's Big Mistakes: The Memoirs of Tyrone Hatchback, a novel, was published. That same year, Whitsett founded LocoBop which started out as a digital only record label, but has since began to release physical CDs as well. Artists include, among many others, Ivory Joe Hunter
, The Bar-Kays, Rufus Thomas
, Eddie Floyd
, Jerry Butler
, The Masqueraders
, Carla Thomas
, and Luther Ingram
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music publisher, musician, songwriter, producer, author, and consultant. He was born in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Biography
Whitsett's instrumentalInstrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
"Jive Harp" b/w "Pipe Dreams" was released on Imperial Records
Imperial Records
Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI.- The independent and Liberty Records years :...
when he was sixteen. With his band, The Imperials (later renamed the The Imperial Show Band
The Imperial Show Band
Tim Whitsett's Imperial Show Band was a popular national live act in the 1960s. They are generally regarded as the first integrated band in the state of Mississippi.-Formative years:...
), he recorded over twenty singles in a variety of genres (R&B, Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, Instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
) for a number of labels, including Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, Ace
Ace Records (US)
Ace Records was a record label that was started in August 1955 in Jackson, Mississippi by Johnny Vincent, with Teem Records as its budget subsidiary. Ace also had the Vin label. Its records were distributed independently until 1962 when a distribution arrangement was set up with Vee-Jay Records....
, Atlas, Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, Lowery, Sue
Sue Records
Sue Records was founded in 1957 by Henry 'Juggy' Murray in New York City.Also within the group was Symbol Records and Sue also financed and distributed A.F.O.Records owned by Harold Battiste in New Orleans....
, Island
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, Musicor
Musicor
The name Musicor may represent any of the following:* Musicor Records -- an American record label.* Distribution Musicor -- a Canadian record label unrelated to the above; see Distribution Select....
and others, as well as for his own Rim Records.
In 1966, at the peak of tensions in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
over civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, Whitsett introduced two new singers to his band, Tommy Tate and Dorothy Moore
Dorothy Moore
Dorothy Moore is an American pop, R&B, and soul singer best known for her 1976 hit song, "Misty Blue".-Career:...
, both black, and both later to achieve chart acclaim as solo artists. Considering the times and possible repercussions, the band from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
was extremely well received by both black and white southerners, as well as audiences in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Hollywood, Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and elsewhere.
Until disbanding the group in 1969, Whitsett wrote, produced, arranged, or played on numerous records for other artists, including The Vels
The Vels
The Vels were an American New wave band, formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:The Vels began when Charles Hanson, former member of the 1970s New Orleans punk group, The Normals, invited Chris Larkin and Alice Desoto to join him for a show at the now defunct Love Club in Philadelphia. The...
, Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, Huey "Piano" Smith & The Clowns, Bobby Marchan
Bobby Marchan
Bobby Marchan was a well-respected American rhythm and blues bandleader, MC, singer-performer, recording artist, and female impersonator, who initially began performing in New Orleans nightclubs, specifically the Dew Drop Inn and the Club Tijuana in the mid 1950s.Marchan also toured with the band of...
, Junior Parker
Junior Parker
Junior Parker was an American Memphis blues singer and musician. He is best remembered for his unique voice which has been described as "honeyed," and "velvet-smooth"...
, Paul Davis
Paul Davis (singer)
Paul Lavon Davis was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career which started worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country and pop music...
, Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn is an American rhythm and blues and electric blues guitarist and singer. She is best known for her R&B chart-topping hit, "You'll Lose A Good Thing" .-Life and career:She played piano as a child, but switched to guitar...
, Sam Myers
Sam Myers
Sam Myers was an American blues musician and songwriter. He appeared as an accompanist on dozens of recordings for blues artists over five decades. He began his career as a drummer for Elmore James, but was most famous as a blues vocalist and blues harp player...
, Dorothy Moore
Dorothy Moore
Dorothy Moore is an American pop, R&B, and soul singer best known for her 1976 hit song, "Misty Blue".-Career:...
and others.
Due to many personnel changes resulting from marriages and the military draft for the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Whitsett dissolved The Imperial Show Band
The Imperial Show Band
Tim Whitsett's Imperial Show Band was a popular national live act in the 1960s. They are generally regarded as the first integrated band in the state of Mississippi.-Formative years:...
. Shortly afterwards, in 1970, some demos the group had recorded ended up in the hands of noted producer Don Davis, who was then vice president of Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
. The MGs were breaking up. Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
had just left the company, and Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
would soon follow. Davis wanted Whitsett’s band to augment The Bar-Kays as a second house band for Stax.
However, Whitsett's musicians had now scattered, joining other bands in other parts of the country. Davis then signed Whitsett and Tommy Tate as producer/songwriters. But within days of arriving at Stax, Whitsett was asked to take charge of the company’s music publishing division, East/Memphis Music Corp., which included works written or recorded by Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Sam & Dave
Sam & Dave
Sam & Dave were an American soul and rhythm and blues duo who performed together from 1961 through 1981. The tenor voice was Samuel David Moore , and the baritone/tenor voice was Dave Prater .Sam & Dave are members of...
, Al Green, Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, 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...
and Booker T. & the MGs. During his years with Stax, Whitsett was the motivating force behind the releases of million sellers, such as "I've Been Lonely For So Long
I've Been Lonely for So Long
"I've Been Lonely For So Long" is a pop-soul song recorded by American southern soul singer Frederick Knight. The song, written by Posie Knight and Jerry Weaver, was released in 1972 by Stax Records....
" (Frederick Knight
Frederick Knight (singer)
Frederick Knight is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer.- Biography :Knight recorded with Mercury and Capitol in New York before signing with Stax Records in 1972. He had his only UK hit single, "I've Been Lonely For So Long," in 1972. The song was on the chart for 10 weeks and...
), "I'll Play the Blues For You" (Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
), and "Mr. Big Stuff" (Jean Knight
Jean Knight
Jean Knight is an African-American soul/R&B/funk singer, best known for her 1971 Stax Records hit single, "Mr. Big Stuff".-Early years:...
), among others.
In 1976, Whitsett resigned as president of East/Memphis when offered the opportunity to run Chrysalis Music
Chrysalis Music
Chrysalis Music is a British independent music publisher.The company's roots started in west London in 1967 when Chris Wright and Terry Ellis formed the Ellis-Wright Agency. It was formed to manage and book the bands Ten Years After, and Clouds. Ten Years After was managed by Wright, while Clouds...
's European division in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Six years later, he took another senior management position in London with Chappell Music, prior to its acquisition by Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
. He also forged a partnership with Chick Churchill
Chick Churchill
Chick Churchill is the keyboard player of the British late 1960s to 70s rock band, Ten Years After.-Career:...
, keyboardist with British rock group Ten Years After
Ten Years After
Ten Years After is an English blues-rock band, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, Ten Years After scored eight Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart...
, in a record production and music publishing company, Whitsett Churchill Music.
At Chrysalis, then Chappell, Whitsett managed song catalogs that included works by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
, Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
, Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
, etc.
In 1982, Whitsett set up a consultancy service for music publishers, which included specialized newsletters and target-marketing directories. Clients included EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, Chappell, Gamble and Huff
Gamble and Huff
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and record production team who have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records. They were pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label...
, Jobete, CBS Songs, Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, MCA
MCA Records
MCA 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...
, et al., as well as publishing companies owned by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
.
Returning to the States, Whitsett founded Urgent! Records
Urgent! Records
Urgent! Records was a record company owned by Tim Whitsett, based in Jackson, MS, and distributed by Atlanta based Ichiban Records.Label founder Whitsett produced albums for singer Jerry Butler and longtime associate Tommy Tate...
. The label's roster included Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush
Bobby Lee Rush is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is located principally on the South Side of Chicago. It is a minority-majority district and has a higher percentage of African Americans than any other congressional district in...
, 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...
, Luther Ingram
Luther Ingram
Luther Ingram was an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter.-Career:Born Luther Thomas Ingram in Jackson, Tennessee, his early interest in music led to him making his first record in 1965 at the age of 28. His first three recordings failed to chart but that changed when he signed for KoKo...
, Tommy Tate, and 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...
.
The label was later folded into the Malaco Music Group, with whom Whitsett became associated in 1998. In addition to his work with Malaco Records
Malaco Records
Malaco Records is an independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi. Malaco is and has been the home of various major soul, blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, ZZ Hill, Denise LaSalle, Benny Latimore, Dorothy Moore, Little Milton, Shirley Brown, Marvin Sease, and the...
, Whitsett authored three music-publishing textbooks and a dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
of music business terms, while actively maintaining his consulting services for music publishers and copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
investors.
In 2008, Whitsett's Big Mistakes: The Memoirs of Tyrone Hatchback, a novel, was published. That same year, Whitsett founded LocoBop which started out as a digital only record label, but has since began to release physical CDs as well. Artists include, among many others, Ivory Joe Hunter
Ivory Joe Hunter
Ivory Joe Hunter was an American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid 1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recording, "Since I Met You Baby" . He was billed as The Baron of the Boogie, and also known as The...
, The Bar-Kays, 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...
, Eddie Floyd
Eddie Floyd
Eddie Lee Floyd is an American soul/R&B singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s and the song "Knock on Wood".-Biography:...
, 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...
, The Masqueraders
The Masqueraders
The Masqueraders is a 1928 novel written by Georgette Heyer. It is set in Britain at a time shortly after the 1745 Jacobite Rising and is concerned with a family of escaped Jacobites.-Plot summary:...
, Carla Thomas
Carla Thomas
Carla Thomas is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas.-Childhood:...
, and Luther Ingram
Luther Ingram
Luther Ingram was an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter.-Career:Born Luther Thomas Ingram in Jackson, Tennessee, his early interest in music led to him making his first record in 1965 at the age of 28. His first three recordings failed to chart but that changed when he signed for KoKo...
.