Jerry Wexler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Gerald Wexler (1917-01-10)January 10, 1917 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 15, 2008(2008-08-15) (aged 91) Sarasota, Florida, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Kansas State University (B.A., Journalism, 1946) |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1940s–1990s |
| Spouse(s) | Shirley Kampf (divorced) Renee Pappas (divorced) Jean Arnold |
| Children | 3 |
Gerald Wexler (January 10, 1917 – August 15, 2008) was amusic journalist turned music producer, and was a major influence on American popular music from the 1950s through the 1980s. He coined the term "rhythm and blues", and was integral in signing and/or producing many of the biggest acts of the time, includingRay Charles, theAllman Brothers,Chris Connor,Aretha Franklin,Led Zeppelin,Wilson Pickett,Dire Straits,Dusty Springfield andBob Dylan. Wexler was inducted to theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and in 2017 to theNational Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
Wexler was born inthe Bronx,New York City, the son of aGerman Jewish father and aRussian Jewish mother; he grew up in theWashington Heights neighborhood ofUpper Manhattan.[1][2][3] Despite graduating fromGeorge Washington High School at the age of 15, he dropped out of theCity College of New York after two semesters.[4] In 1935, Wexler enrolled at what is nowKansas State University, where he studied intermittently for several years. After being in theU.S. Army, Wexler became a serious student and he graduated from Kansas State with aB.A. degree injournalism in 1946.[5][6]
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| External videos | |
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 Rock and Roll; Respect; Interview with Jerry Wexler, 22:01,WGBH Open Archive[7] |
During his time as an editor, reporter, and writer forBillboard Magazine, Wexler coined the term "rhythm and blues".[8] In June 1949, at his suggestion, the magazine changed the name of theRace Records chart to Rhythm & Blues Records. Wexler wrote, "'Race' was a common term then, a self-referral used by blacks... On the other hand, 'Race Records' didn't sit well... I came up with a handle I thought suited the music well–'rhythm and blues'... [It was] a label more appropriate to more enlightened times."[9]
Wexler became a partner inAtlantic Records in 1953.Ray Charles,the Drifters andRuth Brown recorded classic recordings there. WithAhmet andNesuhi Ertegun, Wexler built Atlantic into a major force in the recording industry.[10]
In the 1960s, he recordedWilson Pickett andAretha Franklin, and oversaw production ofDusty Springfield's highly acclaimedDusty in Memphis andLulu'sNew Routes albums. He also cultivated a tight relationship, and a distribution deal, withStax Records founderJim Stewart,[11] was an enthusiastic proponent of the then-developingMuscle Shoals Sound and launched the fortunes ofMuscle Shoals Sound Studios and theMuscle Shoals Rhythm Section. In 1967 he was named Record Executive of the Year for turning Aretha Franklin's career around. In November 1966, Franklin's Columbia recording contract expired; at that time, she owed the company money because record sales had not met expectations. Working with Wexler and Atlantic, Franklin was "the most successful singer in the nation" by 1968.[12] His work in this decade put Atlantic at the forefront ofsoul music.[13]
In 1968, he andAhmet Ertegun signedLed Zeppelin toAtlantic Records on the recommendation of singerDusty Springfield who had worked withJohn Paul Jones and from what they knew of the band's guitarist,Jimmy Page, from his performances withthe Yardbirds.[14] With its strong catalog, Atlantic Records was purchased byWarner Bros. Records in 1968. Prior to the sale, Wexler persuadedJim Stewart to sign a contract (that he didn't read), unknowingly giving Atlantic ownership of 97% of theStaxmaster recordings, without compensation.[15] In 1975, Wexler moved from Atlantic to its parent Warner Records.
In 1979, Wexler producedBob Dylan's controversial first"born again" album,Slow Train Coming[16] at Muscle Shoals; a single from that album, "Gotta Serve Somebody", won aGrammy Award in 1980. When Wexler agreed to produce, he was unaware of the nature of the material that awaited him. "Naturally, I wanted to do the album in Muscle Shoals—as Bob did—but we decided to prep it in L.A., where Bob lived," recalled Wexler. "That's when I learned what the songs were about: born-again Christians in the old corral... I like the irony of Bob coming to me, theWandering Jew, to get the Jesus feel... [But] I had no idea he was on this born-again Christian trip until he started to evangelize me. I said, 'Bob, you're dealing with a sixty-two-year-old confirmed Jewish atheist. I'm hopeless. Let's just make an album.'"
In 1983, Wexler recorded with UK singer/songwriterGeorge Michael. The most famous out-take of these sessions would prove to be a rare early version of "Careless Whisper", recorded in Muscle Shoals. In 1987, Wexler was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.[17] He retired from the music business in the late 1990s.
For most of the 1990s, Wexler lived on David's Lane inEast Hampton, New York where he shared living space with aChinese family who aided him with daily functions and kept him company.
InRay, thebiopic ofRay Charles, Wexler is portrayed byRichard Schiff.[18] Wexler is portrayed byMarc Maron in the 2021 movieRespect, the life story ofAretha Franklin, and byDavid Cross in season three of the television showGenius.[19]Tom Thurman produced and directed a documentary film about Wexler,Immaculate Funk (2000). The film takes its name from Wexler's own expression for the Atlantic sound.[8]
Wexler was married three times. In 1941, he married Shirley Kampf; they had three children before divorcing. His second wife was Renee Pappas.[20] His third wife was Jean Arnold, a playwright and novelist.[21]
Jerry Wexler died at his home inSarasota, Florida, on August 15, 2008, aged 91, fromcongestive heart failure.[21] Asked by a documentary filmmaker several years before his death what he wanted on his tombstone, Wexler replied: "Two words: 'More bass'."[8]
