Misplaced Pages

#16983

80-558: The label was founded in Gary, Indiana , in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken , a husband-and-wife team who used their initials for the label's name. Vivian's brother, Calvin Carter , was the label's A&R man. Ewart Abner , formerly of Chance Records , joined the label in 1955, first as manager, then as vice president, and ultimately as president. One of the earliest African American -owned record companies, Vee-Jay quickly became

160-414: A company town to serve its steel mills. Like other Rust Belt cities, Gary's once thriving steel industry has been significantly affected by the disappearance of local manufacturing jobs since the 1970s. As a result of this economic shift, the city's population has decreased drastically, having lost 61% of its population since 1960. Because of its large losses in population and deteriorating economy, Gary

240-618: A CD compilation, "Hits from the Legendary Vee Jay Records." In 1993, the Vee Jay Limited Partnership released a 3-CD boxed set, "The Vee Jay Story (Celebrating 40 Years of Classic Hits)," again drawn from the label's R&B, soul, and blues catalog. The package includes a red-vinyl facsimile 45 of the Spaniels' "Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite." Under the management of Michele Tayler, the company

320-452: A development of 28 upscale condominium, townhome, and single-family homes, began construction in 2007 at the eastern edge of Miller Beach along County Line Road, one block south of Lake Michigan. The change in the economy and resulting loss of jobs has caused a drop in population by nearly two thirds since its peak in 1960. Gary, along with St. Louis and Detroit , have each lost near or more than two thirds of their peak populations. As of

400-428: A female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between

480-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.28. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

560-599: A major R&B label, with the first song recorded, the Spaniels ' "Baby It's You," making it to the top ten on the national R&B charts. Major acts on Vee-Jay in the 1950s included blues singers Jimmy Reed , Memphis Slim , and John Lee Hooker , and rhythm and blues vocal groups the Spaniels , the Dells , and the El Dorados . The 1960s saw the label become a major soul label with Jerry Butler , Gene Chandler , Dee Clark , and Betty Everett having hit singles on both

640-972: A million copies on the in-house Universal Records label. In 1949, Universal Recording was granted a patent for "Double Feature", a method for putting two songs on each side of a 10-inch record. The technology was developed by Cook Records in New York and exclusively licensed to Universal Records. In 1955, Putnam built Universal Studios a new 15,000 square foot facility at 46 E. Walton Street. Putnam's company quickly became Chicago's largest independent recording studio, hosting sessions for artists from Chicago blues labels such as Vee-Jay , Mercury and Chess . Putnam and his studio's reputation grew quickly thanks to work with blues artists such as Muddy Waters , Willie Dixon , Bo Diddley , Little Walter , and Chuck Berry , and jazz artists like Count Basie , Stan Kenton , Sarah Vaughan , Dizzy Gillespie , Ella Fitzgerald , Little Walter , and Duke Ellington , who said Putnam

720-494: A secondary principal street, Fifth Avenue, which was lined with many commercial businesses, restaurants, theaters, tall buildings, and elegant apartment buildings. The West Side was viewed as having wealthier residents. The houses dated from about 1908 to the 1930s. Much of the West Side's housing were for executives of U.S. Steel and other prominent businessmen. Notable mansions were 413 Tyler Street and 636 Lincoln Street. Many of

800-822: A small portion of the company's releases, but recorded such artists as Eddie Harris , Wynton Kelly , Lee Morgan , and Wayne Shorter . The A&R for the label's jazz releases was Sid McCoy. The company also had a major gospel line, recording such acts as the Staple Singers , The Famous Boyer Brothers, the Argo Singers, Swan Silvertones , the Caravans , Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes, and Maceo Woods. Vee-Jay even released comedy on LP, with records by Dick Gregory , and Them Poems , Mason Williams ' early nightclub act, recorded with

880-458: A studio audience in 1964. Calvin Carter set up Vee-Jay's first rehearsal space in a garage at 47th Street and King Drive in Chicago in 1953, then discovered and signed Jimmy Reed. Carter also established a regular studio use arrangement with Universal Recording Corporation , one of the largest independent recording studios in the U.S. Vee-Jay's biggest successes occurred from 1962 to 1964, with

SECTION 10

#1732780686017

960-481: Is a sub-label of Jilted Generation Inc . Falcon Records launched October 2011 in partnership with "Music Media Management" owned by Diania Elliott Tomlin Perkins & Eric Bryce, "In Hoodz We Trust (IHWT)" owned by Jay Supa & "Make Noise Fife" owned by Alex Herbert. Exodus Records was also a subsidiary of Vee-Jay, focusing largely on gospel music releases (such as early Billy Preston recordings) as well as being

1040-707: Is about 30 miles (48 km) from the Chicago Loop . Gary contains the western portion of Indiana Dunes National Park, including Miller Woods , the western part of Long Lake , and the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education. Much of this is within Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood, although the park's western tip extends to downtown Gary. Gary is listed by the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system as humid continental (Dfa). In July and August,

1120-430: Is greatly regulated by its proximity to Lake Michigan . Weather varies yearly. In the summer months Gary is humid. The city's yearly precipitation averages about 40 inches. Summer is the rainiest season. Winters vary but are predominantly snowy. Snowfall in Gary averages approximately 25 inches per year. Sometimes large blizzards hit because of " lake effect snow ", a phenomenon whereby large amounts of water evaporated from

1200-573: Is home to the Village Shopping Center. Glen Park includes the 37th Avenue corridor at Broadway. Midtown is located south of Downtown Gary, along Broadway. In the pre-1960s days of de facto segregation, this developed historically as a "black" neighborhood as African Americans came to Gary from the rural South in the Great Migration to seek jobs in the industrial economy. Aetna is located on Gary's far east side along

1280-623: Is located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Chicago . The city is the western gateway to the Indiana Dunes National Park , and is within the Chicago metropolitan area . Gary was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary , who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. U.S. Steel had established the city in 1906 as

1360-638: Is located just south of Interstate 90 and can also be seen from the expressway. The Brunswick area includes the Tri-City Plaza shopping center on West 5th Avenue (U.S. 20). The area is south of the Gary Chicago International Airport . Downtown West is located in north-central Gary on the west side of Broadway just south of Interstate 90 . The Genesis Convention Center , the Gary Police Department ,

1440-480: Is often cited as an example of industrial decline and urban decay in America. Although initially a very diverse city, Gary currently holds one of the nation's highest percentages of African-Americans. Between 1970 and 2010, Gary maintained a 40-year record of holding the nation's largest Black population per capita. The city also boasts a legacy of African-American cultural and historical feats, such as electing

1520-532: Is one of Gary's oldest neighborhoods, predating much of the rest of the city. It was platted by George Tolle in 1857 when the railroads were constructed in this area. This area is west of Midtown and south of Ambridge Mann. Tarrytown is a subdivision located in Tolleston between Whitcomb Street and Clark Road. Black Oak is located on the far southwest side of Gary, in the vicinity of the Burr Street exit to

1600-731: Is provided by the Gary Public Transportation Corporation and the South Shore Line passenger railway, which connects to the Chicago transit system. It is also home to a professional baseball team, the Gary SouthShore RailCats . In addition to its large steel mills, the city is known for being the birthplace of the Jackson family , a family of well-known entertainers whose members include singer Michael Jackson . Gary, Indiana,

1680-485: Is water. Gary is T-shaped, with its northern border on Lake Michigan . In the northwesternmost section, Gary borders Hammond and East Chicago ; 165th Street, one of several roads connecting Hammond and Gary, has been walled off from Gary since 1981, initially due to a toxic flood. Miller Beach , Gary's easternmost neighborhood, borders Lake Station and Portage . Gary's southernmost section borders Griffith , Hobart , Merrillville , and unincorporated Ross . Gary

SECTION 20

#1732780686017

1760-524: The 1930 United States Census , the first census in which Gary's population exceeded 100,000, the city was the fifth largest in Indiana and comparable in size to South Bend , Fort Wayne , and Evansville . At that time, 78.7% of the population was classified as white, with 19.3% as foreign-born and another 25.9% as native-born with at least one foreign-born parent. In addition to white internal migrants, Gary had attracted numerous African-American migrants from

1840-463: The 2020 census , there were 69,093 people, 28,610 households, and 16,459 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,388.9 inhabitants per square mile (536.3/km ). There were 37,274 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 10.6% White , 80.2% African American , 0.4% Native American , 0.2% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 3.3% from some other races and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.6% of

1920-467: The Borman Expressway . It was annexed in the 1970s. Prior to that, Black Oak was an unincorporated area informally associated with Hammond , and the area has Hammond telephone numbers. After three referendums, the community voters approved annexation, having been persuaded by Mayor Hatcher that they would benefit more from services provided by the city than from those provided by the county. In

2000-619: The British Invasion took off in early 1964, selling 2.6 million Beatles singles in a single month. Cash flow problems, reportedly caused by Ewart Abner's tapping the company treasury to cover personal gambling debts, led to the company's active demise; Vee-Jay had been forced to temporarily cease operations in the second half of 1963, leading to royalty disputes with the Four Seasons and EMI. The Four Seasons then left Vee-Jay for Philips Records , and EMI's Capitol Records picked up

2080-478: The Dot Records founder), who changed its name to Vee-Jay International . The Four Seasons' catalog was not included in the sale, as the band had negotiated a contract clause that would, in the event of bankruptcy, return the catalog to the band, which has retained them ever since. From 1967 to 1972, Vee-Jay was limited to selling some of the inventory on hand when the company went under, and leasing or licensing

2160-742: The Dunes Highway . Aetna predates the city of Gary. This company town was founded in 1881 by the Aetna Powder Works, an explosives company. Their factory closed after the end of World War I. The Town of Aetna was annexed by Gary in 1928, around the same time that the city annexed the Town of Miller. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Gary's prosperous industries helped generate residential and other development in Aetna, resulting in an impressive collection of art deco architecture. The rest of

2240-547: The Palace Theater , and City Methodist Church . A large area of the downtown neighborhood (including City Methodist) was devastated by a major fire on October 12, 1997. Interstate 90 was constructed between downtown Gary and the United States Steel plant. Ambridge Mann is a neighborhood located on Gary's near west side along 5th Avenue. Ambridge was developed for workers at the nearby steel plant in

2320-466: The U.S. Army ). The initial investment, most of which Putnam had borrowed from his family, was $ 20,000. The Evanston facility consisted of one small studio with a Western Electric broadcast console and a Scully recording lathe with Westrex system purchased from Otto Hepp. Putnam won a lucrative contract with to record and delay broadcast transcriptions shows for the ABC radio network . Recognizing

2400-460: The Wynant House (1917), which was destroyed by fire. A significant number of older structures have been demolished in recent years because of the cost of restoration. Restructuring of the steel and other heavy industry in the late 20th century resulted in a loss of jobs, adversely affecting the city. Abandoned buildings in the downtown area include historic structures such as Union Station ,

2480-582: The 1910s and 1920s. It is named after the American Bridge Works, which was a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. The neighborhood is home to a huge stock of prairie-style and art deco homes. The Gary Masonic Temple was located in the neighborhood, along with the Ambassador apartment building. Located just south of Interstate 90 , the neighborhood can be seen while passing Buchanan Street. Brunswick is located on Gary's far west side. The neighborhood

Vee-Jay Records - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-484: The 21st century, it is the only majority-white neighborhood in Gary. Glen Park is located on Gary's far south side and is made up mostly of mid-twentieth-century houses. Glen Park is divided from the remainder of the city by the Borman Expressway. The northern portion of Glen Park is home to Gary's Gleason Park Golf Course and the campus of Indiana University Northwest . The far western portion of Glen Park

2640-484: The Calumet Township Trustee's office. A 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium for the Gary SouthShore RailCats , U.S. Steel Yard , was constructed in 2002, along with contiguous commercial space and minor residential development. Miller Beach , also known simply as Miller, is on Gary's far northeast side. Settled in the 1850s and incorporated as an independent town in 1907, Miller was annexed by

2720-481: The Gary Department of Redevelopment has estimated that one-third of all homes in the city are unoccupied and/or abandoned. U.S. Steel continues to be a major steel producer but with only a fraction of its former level of employment. While Gary has failed to reestablish a manufacturing base since its population peak, two casinos opened along the Gary lakeshore in the 1990s. However, this has been aggravated by

2800-824: The Lake Superior Court House, and the Main Branch of the Gary Public Library are located along 5th Avenue. A new 123-unit mixed-income apartment development was built using a HUD HOPE VI grant in 2006. The Adam Benjamin Metro Center is located just north of 4th Avenue. It is operated by the Gary Public Transportation Corporation and serves as a multi-modal hub. It serves both as the Downtown Gary South Shore train station and an intercity bus stop. Tolleston

2880-706: The Mercury label.) Universal Recording was the most advanced and largest independent recording facility in the country. Producers and arrangers such as Nelson Riddle , Mitch Miller and Quincy Jones grew to prefer the studio for their big band and orchestral recordings. Engineer Bruce Swedien began working for the studio. In 1957, Putnam sold his interest in Universal Recording and moved to Hollywood, where he established United Recording Corp. Upon Putnam's departure, Bernie Clapper became President of Universal Recording Corporation. By 1967, Universal

2960-471: The South in the Great Migration , and 17.8% of the population was classified as black. 3.5% were classified as Mexican (now likely to be identified as Hispanic, as some were likely American citizens in addition to immigrants). Gary's fortunes have risen and fallen with those of the steel industry. The growth of the steel industry brought prosperity to the community. Broadway was known as a commercial center for

3040-616: The U.S. rights for both the Beatles and Frank Ifield. Other Vee-Jay subsidiary labels included Interphon (which yielded the Top 5 hit " Have I the Right? " by another British group, the Honeycombs ), and Oldies 45 for reissues along with Tollie and Abner Records , which was an early subsidiary label formed in 1958. Vee-Jay also did distribution for Champion Records (notable for producing

3120-552: The Union. This area contained mostly wood-frame houses, some of the earliest in the city, and became known in the 20th century for its ethnic populations from Europe and large families. The single-family houses had repeating house designs that alternated from one street to another, with some streets looking very similar. Among the East Side's most notable buildings were Memorial Auditorium (a large red-brick and stone civic auditorium and

3200-460: The Vee Jay masters to Buddah Records , who came out with "The First Generation" series, and Springboard International, who issued dozens of albums featuring Vee Jay material on their subsidiary label, Upfront. In the 1970s, Vee Jay International itself re-released a number of titles on LPs and 8-track tapes. In 1978, Vee Jay issued a Silver Anniversary catalog to commemorate the 25th anniversary of

3280-482: The ages of 18 and 24; 21.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 102,746 people, 38,244 households, and 25,623 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,045.5 inhabitants per square mile (789.8/km ). There were 43,630 housing units at an average density of 868.6 per square mile (335.4/km ). The racial makeup of

Vee-Jay Records - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-560: The ascendancy of the Four Seasons and the distribution of early Beatles material (" From Me to You " b/w " Thank You Girl ," " Please Please Me " b/w " From Me to You ," and " Do You Want to Know a Secret " b/w "Thank You Girl" via Vee-Jay; and " Love Me Do " b/w " P.S. I Love You " and " Twist and Shout " b/w " There's a Place " via its subsidiary Tollie Records ), because EMI 's autonomous United States company Capitol initially refused to release Beatles records. Vee-Jay's releases were at first unsuccessful, but quickly became huge hits once

3440-600: The city of Gary in 1918. Miller developed around the old stagecoach stop and train station known by the 1850s as Miller's Junction and/or Miller's Station. Miller Beach is racially and economically diverse. It attracts investor interest due to the many year-round and summer homes within walking distance of Marquette Park and Lake Michigan . Prices for lakefront property are affordable compared to those in Illinois suburban communities. Lake Street provides shopping and dining options for Miller Beach visitors and residents. East Edge,

3520-409: The city was 84.03% African American , 11.92% White , 0.21% Native American , 0.14% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 1.97% from other races , and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.93% of the population. There were 38,244 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.2% were married couples living together, 30.9% had

3600-458: The city was 84.8% African American , 10.7% White , 0.3% Native American , 0.2% Asian , 1.8% from other races , and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 8.9% of the population in 2010, down from 39.1% in 1970. There were 31,380 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.2% were married couples living together, 30.9% had

3680-425: The city's 21st mayor on December 30, 2019. In May 2021, a $ 300 million Hard Rock Casino location opened in the city. Branded as Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, the location includes memorabilia from local natives Jackson 5 and a 1,950-seat Hard Rock Live performance hall. The city is located at the southern end of the former lake bed of the prehistoric Lake Chicago and the current Lake Michigan . Most of

3760-599: The city's economy with major construction projects, such as a Holiday Inn hotel and the Genesis Convention Center , failed to reverse the decline. In July 1968, riots broke out in Gary. 3,000 National Guard members came in to restore order to the city. Curfews were enforced, and a ban on gasoline and liquor sales helped calm the violence. Over 110 people were arrested, at least three stores were set on fire, and at least 15 fire-bombings were reported. A rapid racial change occurred in Gary during

3840-520: The city's soil, nearly one foot below the surface, is pure sand. The sand beneath Gary and on its beaches is of such volume and quality that for over a century, companies have mined it, especially for the manufacture of glass. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 50.663 square miles (131.22 km ), of which 49.932 square miles (129.32 km ) is land and 0.731 square miles (1.89 km )

3920-442: The command of Major General Leonard Wood arrived to restore order. The steel industry's jobs provided Gary with rapid growth and a diverse population within the first 26 years of its founding. According to the 1920 United States Census , 29.7% of Gary's population at the time was classified as foreign-born, mostly from eastern European countries, with another 30.8% classified as native-born with at least one foreign-born parent. By

4000-665: The community was built after World War II and the Korean War in the 1950s, in a series of phases. On its south and east, Aetna borders the undeveloped floodplain of the Little Calumet River . Emerson is located in north-central Gary on the east side of Broadway. Located just south of Interstate 90 , Gary City Hall is located in Emerson, along with the Indiana Department of Social Services building and

4080-694: The development of specialized recording equipment. Universal Recording was seminal in the development of experimental studio techniques. It was the location of the first use of tape repeat in a recording, the first isolated vocal booth, the first recording with multiple overdubs of a single voice, early 8-track recording trials and the first experiments with half speed disc mastering. Putnam established Universal Recording Corp. north of Downtown Chicago in Evanston, Illinois in 1946. His partners were Bernie Clapper (a former Valparaiso Technical Institute roommate) and Bob Weber (who Putnam had met while working with

SECTION 50

#1732780686017

4160-502: The houses were on larger lots. By contrast, a working-class area was made up of row houses made of poured concrete were arranged together and known as "Mill Houses"; they were built to house steel mill workers. The areas known as Emerson and Downtown West combine to form Downtown Gary. It was developed in the 1920s and houses several pieces of impressive architecture, including the Moe House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright , and another,

4240-574: The label for some reissues of blues and jazz records. Gary, Indiana Gary ( / ˈ ɡ ær i / GARR -ee ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana , United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 census , making it Indiana's eleventh-most populous city . The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel 's Gary Works , the largest steel mill complex in North America . Gary

4320-536: The label. The label was revived under new management in 1982 as a dance and R&B label, but closed down in 1986. In the mid-late 1980s, a one-hour independent documentary film titled “Cradle of Rock and Roll" aired on PBS soon after its completion. It covered the history of Vee-Jay and Chess Records in Chicago, which helped to begin a revival of some interest in Vee-Jay's history and catalog. In 1986 Motown licensed 26 of Vee Jay's soul, blues and R&B hits for

4400-544: The lake deposit onto the shoreline areas as inordinate amounts of snow. Downtown Gary is separated by Broadway into two distinctive communities. Originally, the City of Gary consisted of The East Side, The West Side, The South Side (the area south of the train tracks near 9th Avenue), and Glen Park, located further South along Broadway. The East Side was demarcated by streets named after the States in order of their acceptance into

4480-526: The late 20th century. These population changes resulted in political change, which reflected Gary's racial demographics: the Black and Hispanic share of the city's population increased from 21% in 1930, 39% in 1960, and 53% in 1970. Black and Hispanic people primarily lived in the Midtown section just south of downtown (per the 1950 Census, 97% of Gary's black population lived in this neighborhood). Gary had one of

4560-426: The nation's first African-American mayors, Richard G. Hatcher , and hosted the groundbreaking 1972 National Black Political Convention . In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gary had the highest percentage of African-Americans in U.S. cities with a population of 100,000 or more, 84% (as of the 2000 census ). This no longer applies to Gary since the city's population has fallen well below 100,000 residents. As of 2013,

4640-573: The nation's first Black mayor (see Richard Hatcher ), hosting the first and largest National Black Political Convention , and, in 1945, becoming the first city in the Midwest (and one of the first in the entire nation) to fully integrate its public school system. Gary is serviced by the Gary/Chicago International Airport , an alternative airport to the Chicago region's two larger airports. The city's public transport

4720-493: The need for Universal Recording to have a location closer to downtown Chicago, Putnam took over the studios on the 42nd floor of the Chicago Civic Opera Building at 20 Wacker Drive in Chicago . He struck a deal with The Harmonicats to help facilitate a recording session and record release in exchange for a portion of the sales of the record. His use of the building's bathroom as an echo chamber for

4800-743: The original version of Tainted Love ) as well as Rick Hall 's Fame Records and, for a time, the Memphis label Goldwax Records and Johnny Vincent 's Ace Records . Vee-Jay moved back to Chicago in 1965 after a year in Los Angeles . Liens were placed on Vee-Jay assets still in Los Angeles after legal action by Pye Records due to non-payment of royalties. Vee-Jay Records filed for bankruptcy in August 1966. The assets were subsequently purchased by label executives Betty Chiappetta and Randy Wood (not

4880-460: The pop and R&B charts. Vee-Jay was also the first label to nationally issue a record by the Pips (through a master purchase from the tiny HunTom label of Atlanta ), who became Gladys Knight and the Pips in 1962 when they moved to Fury Records . Vee-Jay had significant success with pop/rock and roll acts, such as the Four Seasons (their first non-black act) and the Beatles . Vee-Jay acquired

SECTION 60

#1732780686017

4960-425: The population. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.0% were under 5 years of age, and 18.5% were 65 and older. As of the 2010 census , there were 80,294 people, 31,380 households, and 19,691 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,610.2 inhabitants per square mile (621.7/km ). There were 39,531 housing units at an average density of 792.7 per square mile (306.1/km ). The racial makeup of

5040-459: The poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over. Meredith Willson 's 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man featured the song " Gary, Indiana ", in which lead character (and con man ) Professor Harold Hill wistfully recalls his purported hometown, then prosperous. Hill claims to be an alumnus of "Gary Conservatory of Music, Class of '05", but this is later revealed to be another of his lies. The City of Gary

5120-869: The record, and as a throw in, they had a group and asked us if we would take them, too. The group turned out to be the Beatles and we got a five-year contract on the Beatles as a pickup on the Frank Ifield contract." In the mid-1960s, Vee-Jay signed the former successful child singer Jimmy Boyd , known for the hit " I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus "; Boyd was then twenty-five years old. The company ventured into folk music with Hoyt Axton and New Wine Singers, and also picked up Little Richard who re-recorded his Specialty hits and recorded (1965) "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)", an R&B success, with Don Covay , Bernard Purdie , Ronny Miller , Billy Preston , and Jimi Hendrix (before Hendrix became successful on his own). Vee-Jay's jazz line accounted for

5200-421: The recording of " Peg o' My Heart " was the first artistic use of artificial reverb in a popular song. The song sold 1.4 million copies and gave Universal Recording Corp. a big boost in income and new business. Universal Recording soon became the hotspot for the Chicago music business. Such artists as Patti Page , Vic Damone and Dinah Washington came through the doors; Al Morgan 's " Jealous Heart " sold

5280-554: The region. Department stores and architecturally significant movie houses were built in the downtown and Glen Park neighborhoods. Gary entered a period of decline in the 1960s, like many other American urban centers reliant on one particular industry. Gary's decline was brought on by reduced employment in the steel industry overall, which caused U.S. Steel to lay off many workers from the Gary area. The U.S. Steel Gary Works employed over 30,000 in 1970, declined to just 6,000 by 1990, and declined to 5,100 in August 2015. Attempts to shore up

5360-487: The rights to some of the early recordings by the Beatles through a licensing deal with EMI Records , since EMI's American affiliate Capitol Records initially rejected issuing the Beatles records in America. The main attraction at the time, however, was another EMI performer, Frank Ifield . Calvin Carter later said, "There was a number one record over in England at the time—It was ' I Remember You ' by Frank Ifield. We took

5440-492: The setting for numerous films made by Hollywood filmmakers. In 2009, scenes for the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street were filmed in Gary. Scenes from Transformers: Dark of the Moon wrapped up filming on August 16, 2010. Universal Recording Corporation Universal Recording Corporation was a recording studio in Chicago founded by Bill Putnam, Sr. for the purpose of investigating new recording techniques and

5520-665: The site of numerous events, concerts and graduations), The Palace Theater, Emerson School, St. Luke's Church, H.C. Gordon & Sons, and Goldblatt's Department stores, in addition to the Fair Department Store. All fronted Broadway as the main street that divided Gary. The West Side of Gary, or West of Broadway, the principal commercial street, had streets named after the presidents of the United States in order of their election. Lytton's, Hudson's ladies store, J.C. Penney, and Radigan Bros Furniture Store developed on

5600-488: The state closing of Cline Avenue , an important access to the area. Today, Gary faces the difficulties of a Rust Belt city, including higher than national average unemployment and decaying infrastructure. Gary has closed several of its schools within the last ten years. While some school buildings have been reused, most remain unused since closing. As of 2014, Gary is considering closing additional schools in response to budget deficits. Gary Chief of Police Thomas Houston

5680-580: The vote and her term began in January 2012; she is the first woman elected mayor in the city's history. She was reelected in 2015. She was defeated in her bid for a third term in the 2019 Democratic primary by Lake County Assessor Jerome Prince . Since no challengers filed for the November 2019 general election, Prince's nomination was effectively tantamount to election. He officially succeeded Freeman-Wilson on January 1, 2020, two days after being sworn in as

5760-428: The warmest months, high temperatures average 84 °F (29 °C) and peak just above 100 °F (38 °C), and low temperatures average 63 °F (17 °C). In January and February, the coldest months, high temperatures average around 29 °F (−2 °C) and low temperatures average 13 °F (−11 °C), with at least a few days of temperatures dipping below 0 °F (−18 °C). The weather in Gary

5840-680: The west side of Broadway. Developed later, this side of town was known for its masonry or brick residences, its taller and larger commercial buildings, including the Gary National Bank Building, Hotel Gary (now Genesis Towers), The Knights of Columbus Hotel & Building (now affordable housing fronting 5th Avenue), the Tivoli Theater (demolished), the U.S. Post Office, Main Library, Mercy and Methodist Hospitals and Holy Angels Cathedral and School. The West Side also had

5920-408: Was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 27,195, and the median income for a family was $ 32,205. Males had a median income of $ 34,992 versus $ 24,432 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 14,383. About 22.2% of families and 25.8% of the population were below

6000-554: Was convicted of excessive force and abuse of authority in 2008; he died in 2010 while serving a three-year, five-month federal prison sentence. In April 2011, 75-year-old mayor Rudolph M. Clay announced that he would suspend his campaign for reelection as he was being treated for prostate cancer. He endorsed rival Karen Freeman-Wilson , who won the Democratic mayoral primary in May 2011. Freeman-Wilson won election with 87 percent of

6080-467: Was facilitated by Minneapolis film producer, Scott McLain. The Vee-Jay Records story is featured on the documentary series Profiles of African-American Success . Abner Records was a subsidiary of Vee-Jay Records. It was originally named Falcon Records, but the name was changed in 1958 since there already existed a Falcon Records . The label was named after Ewart Abner who was general manager at Vee-Jay, 1955–1961. Falcon Records Scotland (2011–present)

6160-590: Was founded in 1906 by the U.S. Steel corporation as the home for its new plant, Gary Works . The city was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary , who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. Gary was the site of civil unrest in the 1919 General Steel Strike . On October 4, 1919, a riot broke out on Broadway , the main north–south street through downtown Gary, between steel workers and strike breakers brought in from outside. Indiana governor James P. Goodrich declared martial law three days later. Shortly after that, over 4,000 federal troops under

6240-399: Was his favorite engineer. Putnam's period at Universal saw a number of 'firsts' for the recording industry, including the first use of tape repeat, the first vocal booth, the first multiple voice recording, one of the first to use 8-track recording (preceded by Les Paul and Tom Dowd ), the first use of delay lines in the studio, and the first release, in 1956, of half-speed mastered discs (on

6320-399: Was not founded until 1906. Willson's musical, set in 1912, was adapted both as a film of the same name released in 1962, and as a television film , produced in 2003. The 1996 urban film Original Gangstas was filmed in the city. It starred Gary native Fred Williamson , Pam Grier , Jim Brown , Richard Roundtree , and Isabel Sanford , among others. Since the early 2000s, Gary has been

6400-550: Was reactivated in 1998 as The Vee-Jay Limited Partnership . Its main office is located in Redding, Connecticut . Collectables Records has been remastering and reissuing Vee-Jay albums on audio CD since 2000. A compilation which contains a Best of Vee-Jay box set as well as individual "Best of the Vee-Jay Years" CDs is released by Shout! Factory . In July 2014 its catalogue was acquired by Concord Music Group . The sale

#16983