People & Places
BERNIE LOWE
Dave Appell Madara & White Quincy Jones Thom Bell Dave White Joe Renzetti
Harry Chipetz Billy Jackson Joe Tarsia
Dick Clark Harold Lipsius Jimmy Wisner
Linda Creed Leroy Lovett Sigma Sound Studios
Gamble & Huff Bernie Lowe The Shubert Building
Jimmy lenner Artie Singer Cameo Parkway Records
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A Brief History
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Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bernie Lowe was an American songwriter/record producer/arranger/pianist and bandleader. He started Teen Records and in 1955 was working with Freddie Bell and The Bellboys, who also wrote Elvis Presley's huge hit, "Hound Dog."
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In 1956, Bernie Lowe, along with fellow composer, Kal Mann, founded Cameo Records, which later expanded into a subsidiary label called Parkway. With Parkway they signed an unknown singer, Ernest Evans, to their label. Ernest Evans would change his name to Chubby Checker, which helped Cameo/Parkway become one of the largest independent record labels in America. Bernie Lowe also helped launch and further the careers of Bobby Rydell, Dee Dee Sharp, The Tymes, The Orlons and The Dovells.
John's Memories
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Bernie Lowe was a very creative business man. Madara & White wrote a song called "The Fly" with another group.
When Bernie heard it, he suggested using our track for Chubby Checker, and it became a huge hit.