St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-02-13

Many current top recOrdiI
that way. Even the very gifted at
times had to drift from one re-
cording firm to another and ex-
perience several hardships before
hitting upon the right formula.
Billy Eckstine is a good example
Of the artists who travelled this
route.
Eckstine first established him
self as a featured singer with Earl
Hines orchestra in the early fort
les. Hordes of fans, warming to
his mellow voice, crowded theaters
and dance halls to hear him and
the Hines band. Billy's treatment
of such tunes as Good Jelly
Blues" IF That's The Way You
Feel" Prisoner of Love-" and "Tn
Wait And Pray, endeared him to
thousands others on records. Yet
when he formed his own band and
struck out as a solo recording
artist. success eluded him.
So he disbanded his orchestra
and continued as a single How
ever, it wasn't until 1945, when he
signed with MGM Records, that
success returned. Three of his re
cordings Everything I Have Is
Yours" Somehow" and Feel
That I Am" went over big and
put him on top. From MGM, Billy
moved to RCA, then to Mercury
and has remained a top recording
star since
The case of Nat King" Cole
is somewhat different but like
wise typical of how large a part
opportunity can play In the for
tunes Of an artist.
Cole today is just about the hot
test star in the recording picture
But back in the early '40's when
he started his King Cole Trio,
real success was still a stranger
to him For that matter, even be-
fore that when he headed his
own band back in hometown
Chicago, the favored light of sue
cess had not picked him out. True,
around Chicagos South Side, many
youngsters and young adults, con-
sidered Nat the last word" but
for nationwide fame, that was
another thing altogether
Then Cole came up with
"StTaighten Up and Fly Right"
that infectious item about the
monkey and the buzZard-and
the Cole Trio literally became
box office" overnight.
Prior to this, Cole who even
then played a fascinating brand Of |
piano, had not essayed to MARBLE |
the lyrics of the songs the trio
played Then too, he was not wax
ing for a major disc firm, but was
with Excelsior Records, a West |
Coast independent label, headed by
song-writer, bandleader, arranger
Leon Rene.
When Cole and the trio waxed
IAN For You" the platter caught |
the keen ear of Johnny Mercer,
organizer-partner of the then
Hedging Capitol Records. Mercer,
quick to sense a real find" bought |
up Mats contract and remaining
masters from Excelsior, and the
Chicago boy with his trio three
staged to fortune and success as
"a recording artist. And Capitol
climbed with him to a position as
one of the Big Four" in discings.
Cole has had success piled up
on success, and the record bus
mess charts have been listing
him among the top 10 since the
days Of the Route Sc" explOita-
ton.
Earl Grant, sensational singer.
organist, worked four years at
odd jobs around Los Angeles, be-
fore hooking up with Prince rec
ords, a Dootone subsidiary, (since
shortened to "Dooto").
Grant cut a number of sides for
Prince, but it wasn't until the
spring of 1858 that he tasted real
success. Then Decca signed him
and he hit the jackpot. His current
LIP, THE End" is one Of the hot
test items on the sales mart from
coast to coast.
The same combination of talent