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Frank Fenter was a [[impresario]], [[artist manager]], [[record executive]] , record label [[co-founder]] and [[partner]], [[actor]] and [[record producer|music]] and [[film producer]]. He was [[Atlantic Records]] first Managing Director, having discovered some of the most important 1960's "British Invasion" bands to the America shores, including [[Yes]] and [[Led Zeppelin]]. He later on co-founded and a partner in [[Capricorn Records]], the label that helped define and popularize a new genre of music called [[Southern rock]], with such bands as [[The Allman Brothers]], [[The Marshall Tucker Band]] and [[Wet Willie]].
Frank Fenter was a [[impresario]], [[artist manager]], [[record executive]] , record label [[co-founder]] and [[partner]], [[actor]] and [[record producer|music]] and [[film producer]]. He was [[Atlantic Records]] first Managing Director, having discovered some of the most important 1960's "British Invasion" bands to the America shores, including [[Yes]] and [[Led Zeppelin]]. He later on co-founded and a partner in [[Capricorn Records]], the label that helped define and popularize a new genre of music called [[Southern rock]], with such bands as [[The Allman Brothers]], [[The Marshall Tucker Band]] and [[Wet Willie]].


==Early Career in London, England.==
==Early Career in London, England.==

Revision as of 21:29, 15 December 2009

Frank Fenter

Frank Fenter (February 25 1936 - July 21 1983) was a music industry executive.

Life and career

Overview

Frank Fenter was a impresario, artist manager, record executive , record label co-founder and partner, actor and music and film producer. He was Atlantic Records first Managing Director, having discovered some of the most important 1960's "British Invasion" bands to the America shores, including Yes and Led Zeppelin. He later on co-founded and was a partner in Capricorn Records, the label that helped define and popularize a new genre of music called Southern rock, with such bands as The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and Wet Willie.

Early Career in London, England.

Frank Fenter was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moved to London, England, in 1958, initially determined to become an actor. Mr.Fenter's acting career included a feature role in the BBC cult classic, The Big Pull of 1963 and, in 1964, he produced, co-wrote and acted in Africa Shakes, the first South African Rock movie that featured Mr. Fenter's music act, Bill Kimber and the Couriers. The movie was also the first to have a inter-racial cast in Apartheid South Africa.

While doing part time acting in the early 1960's, Mr.Fenter began to book bands, including The Rolling Stones, The Animals and Manfred Mann, around London and at the Crawdaddy Club, owned by his good friend Giorgio Gomelsky and former Yardbirds manager, long before they had recording contracts. Mr. Fenter got his first big break in the music industry, in 1964, when he joined Chapell Music Publishing co., to head Liberty-Imperial Record Publishing and later ARC/Chess Music, which included songs by such artists as Chuck Berry.

Atlantic Records. London, England

In 1966, Frank Fenter was chosen by Atlantic Records President of International, Nesuhi Ertegün, to head the label in the United Kingdom, were he had also brought the singer,Sharon Tandy, over from South Africa, who later became the first white artist to record for Stax Records. Within six months, Frank Fenter was at Atlantic Record's helm for all of Europe in the capacity of Managing Director. Mr. Fenter was responsible for making Atlantic Records the most important American label in promoting British music, according to the late Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder and Chairman of Atlantic Records. Mr. Fenter discovered and had a vital role in bringing such British groups as Yes, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Vinegar Joe, Les Fleur de Lys, with their first single, produced by the then unknown Jimmy Page, and, South African singer ,Sharon Tandy, to Atlantic Records.


Frank Fenter was instrumental for breaking Rhythm and Blues music throughout Europe, having brought the legendary "Hit the Road Stax" tour, in the spring of 1967; it was an overwhelming success, that introduced a white European audience to such artists as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave and Booker T and the MG's. The musicians enjoyed popularity unknown in the United States, according to the documentary, Monteray Pop. Mr. Fenter had the idea of legendary Producer,Tom Dowd, to record the live concerts in Europe and, with Mr.Fenters direction, Stax Records, a subsidiary label of Atlantic Records, experienced a sales jump the year of the tour, with seven of the eleven albums recorded live on the Stax tour received gold album certifications.

Capricorn Records. Macon, Georgia

In 1969, Frank Fenter and good friends Phil and Alan Walden, the former co-managers of Otis Redding , Sam and Dave, among other Stax Records artists, co-founded Capricorn Records together with a distribution deal from Atlantic Records. Working with Mr. Walden and Jerry Wexler, Frank Fenter helped secure and negotiated the Capricorn deal with his mentor, Ahmet Ertegun, the chairman of Atlantic Records. Mr. Fenter and Mr. Walden envisioned a new kind of record company structure that would be vertically integrated. Capricorn Records would have loosely held subsidiary companies that encompass all facets of the music business, that included artist management, with Phil Walden and Associates, Paragon Booking Agency, No Exit Music Publishing and Great Southern Merchandising. Frank Fenter became Executive Vice President of Capricorn Records and "captained the ship" while having discovered and signed many of the recording artists to the label roster with his business partner, Phil Walden. One of many contributions Mr Fenter made to race relations was his successful efforts to negotiate, in 1975, with the South African Apartheid Government, to have Capricorn Records recording artist,Dobie Gray, be the first to perform in front of a multi-racial audience in Johannesburg,South Africa.


With Frank Fenter at the helm of the record label and Phil Walden focusing on Capricorns artist management, the partners together grew Capricorn Records into one of the most successful privately held record labels in the world through the mid 1970's. Capricorn Records defined and popularized the genre of Southern Rock, that included such bands as The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, Elvin Bishop, Wet Willie, Sea Level, Dixie Dregs, Jonathan Edwards, Alex Taylor, Livingston Taylor, Billy Thorpe, Dobie Gray and Captain Beyond. As Southern rock began to wane in the late 1970's, with tastes shifting to disco and new wave, Capricorn Records declared bankruptcy at the end of the decade. In 1983, Frank Fenter and Phil Walden forged a comeback, but in the middle of negotiating a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records Inc' Chairman, Mo Ostin, Mr. Fenter suddenly and unexpectedly died of a heart attack in the Capricorn office. He was survived by his wife, Kiki Fenter, and step-son, Rob Duner-Fenter.


Frank Fenter died in Macon, Georgia, from a heart attack at the age of 47.

References

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