His Achievements in Soul, R&B & Rock Will Be Celebrated
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - October 14, 2009) - A Memorial for Jerry Wexler, record producer
and former co-owner of Atlantic Records, will be held in New York City on
October 30th, starting at 12:00 PM. Invite only, the Memorial will be
hosted by his children Lisa and Paul Wexler.
With backing from Atlantic Records and Jann Wenner, the Memorial will
include music, oration and video presentations. His family, friends,
artists, musicians and co-workers, many of whom will be in New York for the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concerts, will gather to
celebrate his life.
The band will consist of: Bernard Purdie, Anton Fig and Simon Kirke on
drums; Jerry Jemmott and Barbara Cobb on bass; Spooner Oldham and Mike
Finnegan on keyboards; Jen Leigh on guitar; and the Uptown Horns. The
musicians have been assembled with help from producer Jon Tivens, who will
be the Musical Director.
Guest artists include: Allen Toussaint, Bettye Lavette, William Bell,
Steve Bassett, Donnie Fritts, Lenny Kaye, Big Sister (featuring Lisa
Wexler) and Vaneese Thomas with other artists to be announced.
The speakers will be: soul legend Sam Moore; jazz writer Gary Giddins;
writer David Ritz with whom Mr. Wexler penned his autobiography; WBGO disk
jockey Bob Porter; and Mark Meyerson, who was Mr. Wexler's assistant at
Atlantic Records during the mid-1960s.
The memorial will also include rare footage of various R&B artists.
Working as a writer at Billboard Magazine, Mr. Wexler coined the phrase
"Rhythm and Blues." A short list of the artists he produced include Aretha
Franklin, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Wilson Pickett, Dusty
Springfield, Big Joe Turner, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint.
In the mid-1960s, Mr. Wexler helped establish the Soul movement by giving
Stax Records nationwide presence and by recording R&B in Muscle Shoals.
His numerous signings at Atlantic include Aretha Franklin and Led Zeppelin.
Among his many awards, Mr. Wexler is an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall
of Fame.
Lisa Wexler comments, "All the invitees knew my dad for decades, worked
with him, were influenced by him and loved him. It will be a beautiful
day."
If you'd like more information about the Jerry Wexler Memorial, please
contact Paul Wexler at Wexwax1@Comcast.net.