Larry Newton

Larry Newton (born Lawrence Newton 7 May 1920 – 30 January 2005, Pompano Beach, Florida) was an American record company entrepreneur, first with several independent labels, then, as a sales manager at the 1955 startup of ABC-Paramount Records, ascending to president in 1965. He oversaw what became a major multimarket, multi-label company, which, for its jazz subsidiary Impulse!, included Ray Charles, Oliver Nelson, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, and John Coltrane.

Career timeline

• Newton’s career began in 1938, while still in high school, when he worked in the stockroom of a Columbia distributor in Philadelphia.

• Salesman for Varsity, Combo, and Rainbow Records^[1]

• WWII – 5 years as a paratrooper in the Army. He enlisted December 1, 1941, and was released November 15, 1945.^[2]

• In 1946, Newton was the sales manager of Black & White Records.

• In March 1949, Newton left B&W to become general manager of Peak Records. Also, around that time, Newton started his own label, Derby Records and turned out a hit by the Eddie Wilcox Orchestra – with Sunny Gale singing “Wheel of Fortune – and Jaye P. Morgan. He overextended and, in 1953, formed a record Central Records with Lee Magid 1953. Eventually, in 1954, he had to file for bankruptcy. The Derby masters were sold to RCA where Newton became an executive.^[3]

• 1955 –General Manager of Murray Katz's Treat Records, then located at 236 West 55 Street in Manhattan.

• He joined ABC-Paramount in 1956 as sales manager. In 1959, he became vice president of sales. In 1965, he became president.

• In 1970, Newton becomes vice-president of ABC Pictures.

• In 1972, Newton returns to the record business by co-founding and heading GSF Records.^[4]

Death

Dorothy (Dolly) and Larry Newton are buried at Star of David Memorial Gardens, North Lauderdale, Florida^[5]

References