BUDDY BREGMAN

Producer, arranger and composer, Buddy Bregman passed away on 8 January 2017, he was 86 years old. When he was just 25 years old he was a key figure at the launch of Verve Records in 1956, but his career was much more diverse than many people imagine. Born in Chicago in 1930 he was a nephew of songwriter Jule Styne, and while he was studying at UCLA he arranged and conducted Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s ‘Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin’)’ for The Cheers. In 1955 he was appointed orchestra leader for the Gary Crosby Show on CBS radio. Shortly after he met record label owner, Norman Granz at the home of Rosemary Clooney and José Ferrer; Granz who was in the process of forming his new label, Verve Records, appointed Bregman as his first head of A&R. Bregman became head of A&R and his first signing was the long-forgotten Toni read more...