Dick Jacobs

Dick Jacobs (29 March 1918 – 20 May 1988) was an American musician, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, music director and an artists-and-repertoire director for several record labels (Coral, Decca, Brunswick and Springboard) who helped Jackie Wilson, Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin and others form their careers in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Life and career

Jacobs was born in New York City and graduated from New York University. During World War II he served in the United States Army, then returned to the city and spent several years arranging for Tommy Dorsey, then partnered with Sy Oliver to pursue freelance arranging work. When he was hired to be the musical director for the television series, Your Hit Parade, for its 1957-58 season, he replaced most of the existing studio orchestra members with his own choices including Dick Hyman, Don Lamond, Al Caiola and Jerome Richardson. At that point, the Hit Parade orchestra became one of the first on-screen orchestras to become integrated. In 1953 he produced a number of acts, including the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, and by 1958 had a hit single, the theme tune from the movie, "Kathy-O." In 1956 his single recording of "Man with the Golden Arm" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[1]

According to "The Ultimate Book of Songs and Artists" by Joel Whitburn, Jacobs three biggest hits were "Main Title" and "Molly-O" (1956), "Petticoats Of Portugal" (1956), and "Fascination" (1957).

Jacobs brought a lush instrumental orchestral sound to a number of rock and roll songs of the late 1950s, notably those for Buddy Holly and Cirino Colacrai and his vocal quartet the Bowties. Eventually retiring in the late 1970s, he authored a reference book on popular songs and songwriters, Who Wrote That Song?

He died in 1988 in New York City at the age of 70.

Selected discography

Singles

Albums

References

  1. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 82–83. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.

External links