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Hank Medress

 
Artist: Hank Medress
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Worked With:

Dave Appell, Buster Poindexter
  • Born: November 19, 1938, Brooklyn, NY
  • Died: June 18, 2007, New York, NY
  • Genres: Rock
  • Instrument: Producer

Biography

Though he began his recording career as a member of the Tokens, Hank Medress has had one hell of a long run as a producer and songwriter, as evidenced by the 30 Top 40 hits that fill his resume. The Brooklyn-born Medress started singing as a member of the Linc-Tones, a vocal group that also included a teenage Neil Sedaka. When Sedaka left to do his own thing, Medress formed the Tokens, and through much hustling finally found their song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" a home with RCA producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Released in 1961, the song became an instant hit and landed the Tokens a production deal with Capitol Records. It was then that Medress' career as a producer, songwriter, and song-hawker was launched. Using the Capitol studios as home base, Medress helped launch the career of the Chiffons ("He's So Fine") and worked on other Tokens releases as well. Eventually Medress created the B.T. Puppy label, which counted the Happenings and the Tokens among its acts. As the girl-group assembly-line style of producing began to fade in the late '60s, Medress hooked up with a young record exec and former teen idol named Tony Orlando. Convincing Orlando to lend his voice to "Knock Three Times" (a direct violation of Orlando's record company job), Medress unwittingly launched the career of one of the most successful pop acts of the '70s, Tony Orlando and Dawn. In the '80s Medress hooked up with former New York Dolls frontman David Johansen to produce him in his new big band persona of Buster Poindexter. Given Medress' track record it shouldn't have surprised anyone that the resulting self-titled album was a hit. In recent years, after a brief sojourn in Canada, Medress has returned to his New York stomping grounds, heading the label formed as an outgrowth of popular club the Bottom Line. ~ Steve Kurutz, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Hank Medress
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia

Hank Medress (19 November 1938 - 18 June 2007) was an American singer and record producer.

Biography

Medress was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Brooklyn's Abraham Lincoln High School, where in 1955 he joined a doo-wop group called the Linc-Tones, which also included Neil Sedaka.[1][2] After Sedaka's departure, the group reformed with additional singers as The Tokens. The Tokens achieved a number 1 chart success in 1961 with their arrangement of the Lion Sleeps Tonight, as well as other minor hits. Medress and the Tokens also were producers on hits for the Chiffons, such as He's So Fine.[1][2]

After leaving the Tokens, Medress co-produced (with Dave Appell) many of Tony Orlando and Dawn's hits as well as Melissa Manchester's LP.[3] Later, he worked with David Johansen, Rick Springfield, Dan Hill, and Richard Simmons.[4] He was also president of EMI Music Publishing Canada, from 1990 to 1992. [1]

After returning to New York, Medress became a partner in Bottom Line Records, which released recordings of performances at the Bottom Line club in Greenwich Village, as well as new work by emerging artists. In recent years, Medress had worked as a consultant for SoundExchange, an agency that collects royalties from digital broadcasters, like satellite and Internet radio.

Medress died of lung cancer at his Manhattan home on June 18, 2007, aged 68.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c 'Lion Sleeps Tonight' singer dead
  2. ^ a b 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' singer dies
  3. ^ Los Angeles Times, "Hank Medress, 68; pop music producer, a member of the Tokens" June 21 2007
  4. ^ a b New York Times, "Hank Medress, 68, Doo-Wop Singer on ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight’, Dies"

External links

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Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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