Archie Bleyer Biography
12 June 1909, Corona, New York, USA, d. 20 March 1989, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA. A bandleader, musical arranger and founder of Cadence Records, Bleyer began playing the piano at the age of seven. He enlisted at Columbia College in 1927, intending to become an electrical engineer, but switched to music in his second year, afterwards leaving to become a musical arranger. After organizing a local band, he went to New York in the late 30s and conducted for several Broadway shows. He also composed the jazz piece "Business In Q", which was performed by various "hot" bands in the 30s, and he became one of the best-known writers of stock arrangements for music publishers. In the 40s Bleyer joined CBS radio as a musical conductor, and worked extensively on the Arthur Godfrey Show, remaining with it when it transferred to television in the 50s. He left the show in 1953, and formed Cadence Records. He had immediate success with artists such as Julius La Rosa ("Eh, Cumpari"), the Chordettes ("Mr Sandman", number 1), several chart-toppers for the Everly Brothers and Andy Williams ("Canadian Sunset", "Butterfly" and "Are You Sincere"). He also provided the orchestral backing for several of his artists, including Janette Davis, Marion Marlowe, Alfred Drake and Arthur Godfrey, whose husky baritone can be heard on the album Arthur Godfrey's TV Calendar Show. Bleyer also had hits with his own orchestra during the mid-50s, including "Hernando's Hideaway" (from The Pajama Game), and the Top 20 novelty number "The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane". He continued to work into the early 60s, but retired from showbusiness in the late 60s, dissolving the Cadence label. He died in 1989 of Parkinson's Disease.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
|
