1947: After Bill W. spoke at a large Alcoholics Anonymous open meeting in
Los Angeles, California [right: downtown, 1947], he was approached by a local member in the recording industry who offered
to record his talks for a small fee. Back home, Bill shortened his talk and
made a wire recording, which was then pressed into a 16" record. Bill
engaged Rockhill Radio Company, a New York City-based company on 50th Street
with no ties to A.A. that agreed to press individual records on demand. This
arrangement ensured that the Alcoholic Foundation office would not incur
costs or have to manage inventory. Bill also negotiated an agreement whereby
the Foundation office would handle all orders and sales revenue, lowering
the price of the records for A.A. members.
The identity of the member in Los Angeles is
unknown. However, the A.A. Archives at G.S.O. include a yellowed business
card from Specialty Records,*
located at 2719 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, with the handwritten name “Art” on
the back. Arthur “Art” Rupe (born Arthur Goldberg)
[left]
founded Specialty Records in 1946, and may well be connected to this
interaction. It is unknown whether Art was the member who made the
suggestion, or simply someone whom the member put Bill in touch with.
*Specialty Records [right: their Greatest Hits album], an record
label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe, was renowned for rhythm
and blues, gospel, and early rock ’n’ roll. The label recorded artists such
as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd Price. Rupe
initially named the company Juke Box Records but changed it to Specialty in
1946 after parting ways with his original partners. In the 1980s, his
daughter, Beverly, revived the label. Specialty also owned music publishing
companies, Venice Music (for BMI-licensed songs) and Greenwich Music (for
ASCAP-licensed songs). Fantasy Records acquired the Specialty label in 1991,
and it is now part of the Concord Music Group, while Sony/ATV Music
Publishing purchased the music publishing unit.
The identity of the member in Los Angeles is
unknown. However, the A.A. Archives at G.S.O. include a yellowed business
card from Specialty Records,*
located at 2719 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, with the handwritten name “Art” on
the back. Arthur “Art” Rupe (born Arthur Goldberg)
[left]
founded Specialty Records in 1946, and may well be connected to this
interaction. It is unknown whether Art was the member who made the
suggestion, or simply someone whom the member put Bill in touch with.
*Specialty Records [right: their Greatest Hits album], an record
label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe, was renowned for rhythm
and blues, gospel, and early rock ’n’ roll. The label recorded artists such
as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd Price. Rupe
initially named the company Juke Box Records but changed it to Specialty in
1946 after parting ways with his original partners. In the 1980s, his
daughter, Beverly, revived the label. Specialty also owned music publishing
companies, Venice Music (for BMI-licensed songs) and Greenwich Music (for
ASCAP-licensed songs). Fantasy Records acquired the Specialty label in 1991,
and it is now part of the Concord Music Group, while Sony/ATV Music
Publishing purchased the music publishing unit.
Today in A.A. History—April 9–10
2021: Kansas City Group 1 of Kansas City, Missouri, celebrated its 80th
anniversary online
[left: flyer].
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