Snuff Garrett

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Snuff Garrett (born Thomas Lesslie Garrett on July 5, 1939, in Dallas, Texas) is a retired American record producer whose most famous work was during the 1960s and 1970s. His nickname is a play on Garrett's Snuff, a brand of smokeless tobacco.

At seventeen, he was a disc jockey in Lubbock, Texas, where he met Buddy Holly. He is often still mentioned on the Lubbock "oldies" station, KDAV-AM on a program hosted by his friend Jerry "Bo" Coleman.

Among his artists were Bobby Vee, Gene McDaniels, Gary Lewis and the Playboys (This Diamond Ring), Johnny Burnette, and later Sonny & Cher. He was a staff producer at Liberty Records during the 1960s, and was responsible for hiring Phil Spector as a producer for Liberty. Later he had his own record label, Snuff Garrett Records. Working regularly with The Ron Hicklin Singers on many projects, he was responsible for the new sound of The Ray Conniff Singers in the early 1970s, using the Hicklin Singers, and produced two Conniff albums.

Many of Garrett's hit singles came from songs by the Brill Building songwriters in New York City. His assistant during most of the 1960s was future recording star Leon Russell. Garrett retired to Arizona during the 1980s.