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which he became an accomplished classical violinist. However, raised within a diverse enclave in the Bronx, Ralph was exposed to a number of cultural nuances which influenced his choice of musical genres from classical to Blues and Jazz. From an early age, Bass wanted to not simply perform, but assemble sounds that he enjoyed listening to. After his marriage to his first wife, Alice née
Robbins, Bass found opportunities in Los Angeles and relocated with his young family, including his two sons, Michael and Dennis. During Ralph's venture into the record industry he began to travel to the Mississippi Delta and other southern states where he heard some of the best music was being played. It was there he discovered a source of unrecorded musicians and his niche as a record producer and talent scout. Here-to-fore
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to an
Italian Catholic father, Ralph Bass, né Basso, and a German-American Jewish mother, Lena, née Brettner, who raised all of their children within a kosher household in the religious faith of Judaism. As a young boy, Ralph displayed a gift for music and his mother enrolled him in lessons, for
323:", because he thought poorly of the demo; Bass signed Brown to Federal and produced "Please, Please, Please", the first Federal single, which was a regional hit and eventually sold a million copies. Bass also produced the original version of the R&B standard "
276:, in Cincinnati, Ohio. During this period, Bass toured the South with various blues bands and noted the large size of the audiences, still predominantly black but with an increasing numbers of whites. He sensed that the audience was changing.
228:. After his second marriage to Shirley Hall Bass on December 17, 1960 Bass decided to focus his career on bringing African American music and African American performers into the entertainment mainstream.
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kept
African American performers marginalized, with many relegated to one-night stands performing only to all-black audiences in a network of theaters and nightclubs known as the
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could contain. But he had never heard a voice that possessed the essence of all these styles while moving beyond them toward a sound at once more
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Ralph Bass knew the repertoire; he'd heard more gravel-voiced shouters, high-pitched keeners, hopped-up rockers, churchy belters,
159:. He was a pioneer in bringing African American music into the American mainstream. During his career he worked in key roles for
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268:"). From there he went on to help build two of the most successful independent record labels,
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The birth surname of Ralph Bass's paternal grandfather, who was born in Italy, was DuBasso.
354:, and sweet, soft moaners—more lovers, leavers, losers, loners, lady-killers, lambasters,
291:, a subsidiary of King run by Bass, he turned out a series of R&B hits, including the
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In 1959, the Chess brothers hired Bass away from King to serve as A&R director for
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404:. He worked for Chess until 1976, producing recordings by
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939:(reference to Ralph Bass's granddaughter, Shauna Bass),
805:. Updated November 4, 2005. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
358:, lemme-show-you men, and lawdy-be boys—than any dozen
391:"Please, Please, Please," James Brown, Federal Records
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533:"Ralph Bass, First Recording," told by Ralph Bass
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244:, where he produced and recorded, among others,
179:, recording many leading performers, including
582:"Hall of Fame Inducts Its 6th Crop of Legends"
554:
981:
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909:"House Resolution 218: Ralph Bass Memorial,"
773:"Mr. Brown, On the Road with His Bad Self".
699:
600:"House Resolution 218: Ralph Bass Memorial"
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626:. New York: Macmillan. pp. 225, 235–247.
696:, March 1998. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
1246:American people of German-Jewish descent
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279:At Savoy from 1948 to 1951, he recorded
143:(May 1, 1911 – March 5, 1997), known as
789:Callahan, Mike; Edwards, David (2005).
707:Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music
655:. University of Chicago Press. p. 100.
366:and more self-assured, until he heard "
1226:Record producers from New York (state)
1203:
574:
969:
815:"Inductee: Ralph Bass, Non-Performer"
339:singles released by Federal in 1952.
1241:20th-century American businesspeople
836:Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues
821:, 1991. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
13:
1251:American people of Italian descent
927:"Toller Cranston's 'The Ice Show'"
14:
1262:
917:Illinois House of Representatives
862:
604:Illinois House of Representatives
937:"Inside Beyonce's Private World"
488:
465:
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795:. Both Sides Now Publications.
741:The Guinness Who's Who of Blues
526:
500:
264:(including Walker's landmark "
1:
855:. Retrieved November 8, 2006.
542:
515:produced by Bryan Grazer and
495:Chess Records Studio, Chicago
203:. Bass was inducted into the
709:. Da Capo Press. pp. 61–62.
456:, he produced recordings by
444:. He composed the music for
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315:, at first refused to sign
260:", which became a hit) and
256:(Bass suggested he record "
207:in 1991 as a nonperformer.
10:
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997:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
954:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
931:Internet Broadway Database
819:Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
205:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1180:
1153:
1135:
1007:
905:, Mike Kremer (webmaster)
890:"Ralph Bass' Junior Jazz"
329:Little Willie Littlefield
242:Black & White Records
231:
195:, and groups such as the
161:Black & White Records
109:
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86:
72:
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38:
28:
21:
685:History of Rock 'n' Roll
155:for several independent
894:The Classic Jazz Guitar
705:Hirshey, Gerri (1994).
580:Watrous, Peter (1991).
519:, Bass is portrayed by
448:'s hit novelty single "
16:R&B record producer
651:Keil, Charles (1991).
474:Please, Please, Please
387:
368:Please, Please, Please
321:Please, Please, Please
258:Open the Door, Richard
1221:People from the Bronx
1156:(Ahmet Ertegun Award)
1115:Ike & Tina Turner
341:
272:, in New Jersey, and
266:Call It Stormy Monday
215:Bass was born in the
54:, New York City, U.S.
1236:King Records artists
1181:Lifetime achievement
624:Honkers and Shouters
450:Here Comes the Judge
442:Sonny Boy Williamson
331:. Bass 'discovered'
240:man in the 1940s at
151:record producer and
913:"Summary of HR 218"
746:Guinness Publishing
744:(Second ed.).
420:artists, including
311:". King's founder,
309:Work with Me, Annie
68:New York City, U.S.
1094:The Lennon Sisters
945:, December 5, 2008
900:.classicjazzguitar
769:Gourevitch, Philip
748:. pp. 233/4.
587:The New York Times
147:, was an American
1198:
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640:978-0-02-061740-2
511:, a biography of
505:In the 2014 film
376:Philip Gourevitch
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327:", recorded by
301:Have Mercy Baby
289:Federal Records
250:Roosevelt Sykes
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141:Ralph Basso Jr.
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335:, who had two
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723:0-306-80581-2
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427:
426:Soul Stirrers
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419:
418:rock-and-roll
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403:
402:Chess Records
397:
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337:country blues
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270:Savoy Records
267:
263:
262:T-Bone Walker
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229:
227:
223:
222:Jim Crow laws
218:
211:Personal life
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177:Chess Records
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165:Savoy Records
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87:Occupation(s)
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62:March 5, 1997
61:
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1144:Howlin' Wolf
1142:
1113:
1106:
1099:
1092:
1066:Jerry Butler
1058:
1051:
1037:David Crosby
1021:
1016:LaVern Baker
1014:
950:"Ralph Bass"
940:
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676:
652:
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623:
620:Shaw, Arnold
615:
610:(1997–1998).
595:
585:
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567:
566:
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547:
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530:
527:Audio/visual
521:Josh Hopkins
506:
504:
438:Muddy Waters
434:Howlin' Wolf
399:
379:
342:
305:Hank Ballard
278:
274:King Records
235:
214:
169:King Records
153:talent scout
144:
140:
139:
101:Years active
64:(1997-03-05)
1216:1997 deaths
1211:1911 births
1125:Tina Turner
923:(1997–1998)
873:Answers.com
653:Urban Blues
517:Mick Jagger
513:James Brown
501:Filmography
478:James Brown
454:MCA Records
325:Kansas City
319:to record "
317:James Brown
285:Johnny Otis
193:Earl Bostic
189:James Brown
49:May 1, 1911
1205:Categories
1171:Ralph Bass
1121:Ike Turner
1108:Jimmy Reed
1082:Sam Gooden
1029:Gene Clark
1008:Performers
780:, July 29.
543:References
430:Etta James
422:Clara Ward
313:Syd Nathan
254:Jack McVea
246:Lena Horne
181:Etta James
145:Ralph Bass
45:1911-05-01
30:Birth name
23:Ralph Bass
1078:Fred Cash
1023:The Byrds
508:Get On Up
360:jukeboxes
347:barkers,
345:burlesque
185:Sam Cooke
105:1941–1997
52:The Bronx
881:.answers
853:49516734
833:(2002).
800:.bsnpubs
771:(2002).
715:30318274
622:(1978).
373:—
352:crooners
333:John Lee
293:Dominoes
201:Dominoes
199:and the
197:Platters
919:, 90th
632:3516614
606:, 90th
538:YouTube
414:R&B
396:YouTube
349:doo-wop
299:" and "
238:A&R
93:A&R
81:R&B
851:
839:(CD).
752:
721:
713:
667:
661:232252
659:
638:
630:
440:, and
424:, the
416:, and
410:gospel
384:, 2002
303:" and
232:Career
175:, and
157:labels
110:Labels
73:Genres
845:Chess
548:Notes
406:blues
364:feral
287:. At
217:Bronx
126:Chess
118:Savoy
95:scout
911:and
902:.com
883:.com
849:OCLC
802:.com
750:ISBN
719:ISBN
711:OCLC
693:.com
665:ISBN
657:OCLC
636:ISBN
628:OCLC
307:'s "
283:and
122:King
77:Jazz
59:Died
39:Born
942:OK!
898:www
879:www
841:MCA
798:www
689:www
536:on
476:,"
394:on
295:' "
130:MCA
1207::
1123:,
1084:,
1080:,
1076:,
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1035:,
1031:,
999:–
952:.
915:,
892:,
847:.
817:.
717:,
683:.
663:,
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584:.
523:.
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460:.
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432:,
428:,
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956:.
886:)
876:(
843:/
758:.
725:.
671:.
642:.
472:"
47:)
43:(
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