Artie Wayne

Artie Wayne
Background information
Birth name Wayne Kent
Born January 22, 1942
New York, United States
Occupation(s) songwriter, singer, producer
Years active 1959–present

Artie Wayne (born January 22, 1942) is an American, semi-retired record producer, award winning songwriter, and active blogger.

Artie Wayne has pursued an eclectic array of vocations and avocations including songwriter, singer, producer, publisher, concert promoter, restaurant host, and wearable artist. His first hit as a songwriter and producer came in 1963: Joey Powers' "Midnight Mary".[1] He's had over 250 covers recorded by such artists as Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Tony Orlando and Dawn, Pat Boone, Helen Shapiro, The Magic Lanterns, Joe Dassin, The Temptations, Ricky Nelson, Paul Anka, Cher, and The 5th Dimension.

He also won a "CLIO" award (the Grammy of advertising) for co-writing and producing the Radio Record spot of 1983 (with Joe Klein and "Frenchy" Gauthier) for Kenny Rogers "Share Your Love", which featured the phrase, "Fall in Love All Over Again". The slogan has been recycled and used for the past 25 years in film campaigns to promote Sleepless in Seattle, My Best Friend's Wedding, While You Were Sleeping, The 2005 re-release of Disney's Lady and the Tramp, as well as countless ads for music groups, including Simon Cowell's recent number one album El Divo.

Wayne was first discovered by Bobby Darin in 1959, who sent him to Don Kirshner, who had just formed Aldon Music with veteran song man/producer Al Nevins. It was there that Wayne learned how to write songs from Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Neil Sedaka, and Howie Greenfield.

He went on to collaborate with Paul Vance ["Itsy, Bitsy Bikini"] and in 1963 co-wrote his first hit, "Meet Me at Midnight Mary", with Ben Raleigh ["Tell Laura I Love Her", "Wonderful, Wonderful", "Love is a Hurtin’ Thing"], and produced Amy/Bell Record's first hit with Joey Powers.

Wayne built his international reputation as a song writer in the UK with top ten hits by Helen Shapiro ("Queen for Tonight") and The Magic Lanterns ("Excuse Me Baby").

After a short stint as professional manager of April-Blackwood music, he formed a publishing company with David Kapralik then discovered and signed Tony Romeo (who later wrote many Partridge Family hits) as well as Bob Stone (who wrote "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" for Cher.)

In 1965, Wayne went to Scepter Records, where he was signed as a writer and produced the Shirelles, the Kingsmen and the Guess Who. When the head of the publishing company, Ed Silvers, moved to the west coast to join Viva Records, Wayne stayed in New York.

Unable to afford to sign Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson (who went on to write "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "I'm Every Woman"), whom he worked with at Scepter, he took the duo to Eddie Holland [of Holland/ Dozier/ Holland], who signed them to Motown. In the next four and a half years, Wayne and his partners Sandy and Kelli Ross built Alouette Productions into the top New York publishing administration and exploitation firm of the late sixties. They represented Quincy Jones, (Joey) Levine and (Artie) Resnick, (Gary) Geld and (Peter) Udell, Bobby Scott, Janis Ian, Ron Haffkine, Lesley Gore, and Bo Gentry.

He recorded under the name Shadow Mann for his own label, Tomorrow's Productions, which was distributed by Morris Levy. He is also credited with discovering future Academy Award winning actress Sissy Spacek who recorded for his label under the name Rainbo.

After moving to Hollywood in 1970, he contributed pieces as a photographer and journalist to Rock and Fusion magazines. He also reviewed acts for Cash Box before joining Viva Music as professional manager.

When the firm was acquired, Wayne became general professional manager and director of creative services for Warner Bros. Music. He directed the New York, Hollywood and Nashville professional staff, which he dubbed "The Warner Raiders." During those years, they represented the works of America, Badfinger, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, the Faces, the Fifth Dimension, the Kinks, Gordon Lightfoot, Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Graham Nash, Randy Newman, Stephen Stills, John Sebastian, Sly and the Family Stone, Carly Simon, Jimmy Webb, Neil Young and the Eagles. He also acted as musical consultant on Warner Bros. Films' Come Back Charleston Blue and Cleopatra Jones.

When his friend Don Williams from rival publishing company MCA Music played him an acetate of the unreleased Rock Opera, "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, he sensed it was going to be a phenomenon. Williams, Wayne and their friend Allan Rinde promoted the record to their "underground tastemaker" friends. MCA records as well as Rice and Webber credit the trio with breaking the record in the US.

At the Tokyo Music Festival in 1974, Wayne found a song from South African songwriter Terry Dempsey, "Daydreamer", which David Cassidy recorded selling 5 million units all over the world.

When he became the Head of A+M's publishing company, he represented the songs of Paul Williams, Roger Nichols, Jeff Barry, Peter Allan, Richard Carpenter, John Bettis, and Billy Preston. He also signed Newcomer Rick James to an exclusive songwriting contract as well as future Academy Award winner Will Jennings ("My Heart Will Go On").

In his first week after becoming head of Irving/ Almo music he gave Olivia Newton-John "I Honestly Love You" which became the "Record of the Year".

When he left A+M, He formed the Artie Wayne Organisation, and went around the world selling dance records that were produced for him by David Foster, Jack Conrad, Art Munson and Joe Klein. He also was the first American in Japan to have his own record company without having his own label in the US. In his spare time he also represented Joe Klein as agent, who created radio and television ad campaigns for EMI, Capitol, Casablanca, Ariola, K-Tel, and Warner Brothers Records.

Wayne also recorded a dance album for Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records under the name Arthur Wayne.

In 1983, Allan Rinde, produced the Artie Wayne Songwriter Motivational Course. Among the aspiring songwriters who attended were Jason Bloom (who went on to write for the Backstreet Boys), John Barnes (who went on to co-write much of the "Bad" album with Michael Jackson) and Diane Warren ("Unbreak my Heart", "How Do I Live (Without You)?").

When Rinde decided to open a Chinese restaurant on Fairfax Ave. (in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Hollywood), Wayne gave him the name Genghis Cohen. He was host there intermittently for nine years…and started a "Wearable Art" clothing business. His clients included …ERTE, the father of Art Deco, Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert Downey, Jr, Sammy Davis, Jr, "Skunk" Baxter, Pam Tillis, Dokken, Kenny Rogers, J.D. Nicholas of the Commodores, Paul Schaffer, Mötley Crüe and Luther Vandross.

He also created wearable art for Fred Segal on Melrose Avenue, Leather Force on Rodeo Drive and Robinson's department stores.

He went to New York in 1988 where he was Director Of Creative Services for Harvey Russack's UNIQUE Clothing Wearhouse in the East Village. He had seven graffiti artists working under him who airbrushed jackets and jeans for the top recording acts New Kids On The Block, First Edition, Bobby Brown, Tiffany, Blackstreet, Aaron Hall, KRS 1, and Mark Wahlberg.

Wayne also created a line of successful t-shirts celebrating the new relations between the United States and The Soviet Union, which was spotlighted in Business Week and featured on ABC's 20/20 with Diane Sawyer.

On his return to the West Coast Wayne performed and presented shows to standing room only crowds at The Genghis Cantina, Allan Rinde's new venture located next to Genghis Cohen.

When Wayne moved to the California desert for health reasons he began to paint/sculpt works on unfinished quartz that were sold in Palm Springs and La Quinta.

References

  1. ↑ Clemente, John (2013). Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World. AuthorHouse. p. 503. ISBN 9781477276334. Retrieved 3 November 2014.

External links