Fred Mendelsohn (May 16, 1917 – April 28, 2000) was an American music executive. The president of

Savoy Records Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. In September 2017, Savoy was acquired by Concord Bicycle Music. ...

for 42 years, he was the first man to ever record, promote and market black gospel music as a national company. His dedication and contributions built the historic foundation for the black gospel music industry. Many of today's major

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

artists started on Savoy under the leadership of Mendelsohn. As a talent scout for the label, he discovered artists such as

Nappy Brown Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp (October 12, 1929 – September 20, 2008) better known by his stage name Nappy Brown, was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singing, singer. His hit record, hits include the 1955 ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard' ...

, C. J. Johnson, and

James Cleveland James Edward Cleveland (December 5, 1931 – February 9, 1991) was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the "King of Gospel," Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating ...

, and promoted Cleveland with many background church choirs. In doing this he was responsible for building the choir market. Mendelsohn was responsible for such historic acts as

The Caravans The Caravans were an American gospel music group that was started in 1947 by Robert Anderson. It reached its peak popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, launching the careers of a number of artists, including: Delores Washington, Albertina ...

featuring

Albertina Walker Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter and humanitarian. Early years Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and her father ...

Inez Andrews Sister Inez Andrews, born Inez McConico (April 14, 1929 – December 19, 2012) and better known as Inez Andrews, was an American gospel singer, who was noted for her powerful, wide-ranging voice. The ''Chicago Tribune'' stated that "Andrews' thr ...

Shirley Caesar Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams (Birth name, née Caesar; born October 13, 1938), known professionally as Shirley Caesar, is an American Gospel music, gospel singer. Her career began in 1951, when she signed to Federal Records at the age of 12. Thro ...

, Dorothy Norwood, Delores Washington, The Barrett Sisters, Dorothy Love Coates & The Gospel Harmonettes and Clara Ward. As a songwriter, he co-wrote, with Rose Marie McCoy, Brown's 1955 hit single " Don't Be Angry".Obituary in ''The Independent''
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References

1917 births 2000 deaths American music promoters American music industry executives Jazz record producers American record producers 20th-century American businesspeople {{US-music-bio-stub