Leslie Thompson "Les" Baxter (March 14, 1922 – January 15, 1996) was a best-selling American musician and composer. After working as an arranger and composer for

swing band Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. The name derived from its emphasis on the off-beat, or nominally weaker beat. Swing bands ...

s, he developed his own style of

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, ...

music, known as

exotica Exotica is a musical genre, named after the 1957 Martin Denny Exotica (Martin Denny album), album of the same name that was popular during the 1950s to mid-1960s with Americans who came of age during World War II. The term was coined by Simon Wa ...

and scored over 100 motion pictures.

Early life

Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. From 1943 on he played tenor and baritone saxophone for the Freddie Slack big band. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer. At the age of 23 he joined

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for " The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an ...

Mel-Tones The Mel-Tones was an American vocal group of the 1940s and 1950s, formed and led by Mel Tormé. They are sometimes credited as The Meltones. The Mel-Tones appeared on several radio programs and released several records on their own, and also as th ...

, singing on

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

records such as "

What Is This Thing Called Love? "What Is This Thing Called Love?" is a 1929 popular song written by Cole Porter, for the musical '' Wake Up and Dream''. It was first performed by Elsie Carlisle in March 1929. The song has become a popular jazz standard and one of Porter's most ...

Career

Baxter then turned to arranging and conducting for

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...

in 1950, and conducted the orchestra in two early Nat King Cole hits, "

Mona Lisa The ''Mona Lisa'' ( ; it, Gioconda or ; french: Joconde ) is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best kno ...

" and " Too Young". He also recorded

Yma Sumac Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo (September 13, 1922 (birth certificate) or September 10, 1922 (later documents) – November 1, 2008), known professionally as Yma Sumac (), was a Peruvian-American coloratura soprano. She was one ...

's first album: "Voice of the Xtabay", which can be considered one of the first recordings of Exotica. In 1951 he made the original recording of "

Quiet Village "Quiet Village" is an orchestral pop instrumental that was written and originally performed by Les Baxter in 1951 and an instrumental album from 1959 by Martin Denny. In the liner notes to his album, '' Ritual of the Savage (Le sacre du sauvage)' ...

" which years later became a hit for Martin Denny. In 1953 he scored his first movie, the sailing travelogue ''Tanga Tika''. With his own orchestra, he released a number of hits including "

Ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called ...

" (1953), " Unchained Melody" (1955), and " The Poor People of Paris" (1956), and is remembered for a version of " Sinner Man" (1956), definitively setting the sound with varying tempos, orchestral flourishes, and wailing background vocals. "Unchained Melody" was the first million seller for Baxter and was awarded a gold disc. "The Poor People of Paris" also sold over one million copies. He also achieved success with concept albums of his own orchestral suites: ''Le Sacre Du Sauvage'', ''Festival Of The Gnomes'', ''Ports Of Pleasure'', and ''Brazil Now'', the first three for Capitol and the fourth on Gene Norman's Crescendo label. The list of musicians on these recordings includes Plas Johnson and

Clare Fischer Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorate ...

. Baxter also wrote the "Whistle" theme from the TV show ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

''. In the 1960s, he formed the Balladeers, a conservative folk group in suits that at one time featured a young

David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They got ...

. Later he used some of the same singers from that group for a studio project called The Forum. They had a minor hit in 1967 with their song "

The River Is Wide "The River Is Wide" was a song written by Billy Admire and Gary Knight and was originally recorded by the Forum in 1967. Background The Forum The record was first released in 1966 on the Penthouse label.''Billboard'', July 8, 1967 Page 6 RIVER ...

" which implemented the

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of sessio ...

technique originally developed by

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

. He worked in radio as musical director of '' The Halls of Ivy'' and the

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...

and

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People * Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

shows. Like his counterparts

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

and

Lalo Schifrin Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-American pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, incorporating jazz and Latin American musical eleme ...

, Baxter worked in films in the 1960s and 1970s. He worked on movie scores for B-movie studio

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...

where he composed scores for Roger Corman's

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

films and other horror and beach party films including '' House of Usher'', '' The Pit and the Pendulum'', '' The Raven'', ''

Muscle Beach Party ''Muscle Beach Party'' is the second of seven beach party films produced by American International Pictures. It stars Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello and was directed by William Asher, who also directed four other films in this series. D ...

'' and ''

Beach Blanket Bingo ''Beach Blanket Bingo'' is a 1965 American beach party film directed by William Asher. It is the fifth film in the Beach Party film series. The film stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Linda Evans, Deborah Walley, Paul Lynde, and Don Rickl ...

''. He also composed a new score for the theatrical release of the 1970 horror film ''

Cry of the Banshee ''Cry of the Banshee'' is a 1970 British horror film directed by Gordon Hessler and starring Vincent Price as an evil witchhunter. The film was released by American International Pictures. The film costars Elisabeth Bergner, Hilary Dwyer, and H ...

'' after AIP rejected

Wilfred Josephs Wilfred Josephs (24 July 1927 – 17 November 1997) was an English composer. Life Born in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, the fourth and youngest son of Russian and South Shields Jewish parents, Wilfred Josephs had his first musical studies in Ne ...

's original one.

Howard W. Koch Howard Winchel Koch (April 11, 1916 – February 16, 2001) was an American producer and director of film and television. Life and career Koch was born in New York City, the son of Beatrice (Winchel) and William Jacob Koch. His family was Jewish. ...

recalled that Baxter composed, orchestrated and recorded the entire score of '' The Yellow Tomahawk'' (1954) in a total of three hours for $5,000. When soundtrack work fell off in the 1980s, he scored music for theme parks such as SeaWorld. Baxter died in Newport Beach, California at the age of 73. Survived by his daughter Leslie, he was buried at Pacific View Memorial Park, in

Corona del Mar Corona del Mar ( Spanish for "Crown of the Sea") is a seaside neighborhood in the city of Newport Beach, California. It generally consists of all the land on the seaward face of the San Joaquin Hills south of Avocado Avenue to the city limits, as ...

, California.

Controversy

According to

Milt Bernhart Milt Bernhart (May 25, 1926 – January 22, 2004) was a West Coast jazz trombonist who worked with Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, and others. He supplied the solo in the middle of Sinatra's 1956 recording of '' I've Got You Under My Skin'' conducted ...

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Recor ...

was a ghostwriter for Baxter when Baxter was working for Nat King Cole. This doesn't make any sense, though, because while Baxter was working (and got credited) as a conductor for Nat King Cole, he never was officially credited as a composer or arranger. Bernhart states that Riddle told him that Baxter did not write the material on his exotica albums. Bernhart states that, while working for Baxter on recording a score for a Roger Corman film, it was apparent that Baxter could not conduct competently and "couldn't read the scores." According to Bernhart, "Someone else had written he music" But Baxter went on to write symphonies for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and guest conduct at the Hollywood Bowl. Nelson Riddle held a grudge against Baxter for supposedly taking credit for Riddle's arrangements on two Nat King Cole hit recordings. According to

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

, when collaborating once with Baxter, in the time Previn and Riddle had finished their parts, Baxter had written just one bar for woodwinds and included a note for the oboe that does not exist on the instrument. Gene Lees states that the exotica albums were written by Albert Harris and the material recorded with Yma Sumac was written by Pete Rugolo. According to Rugolo, he was paid $50 per arrangement to ghost for Les Baxter and that he "did a whole album with Yma Sumac". In a 1981 interview with ''Soundtrack'' magazine, Baxter said that these sorts of statements were the results of a smear campaign by a disgruntled orchestrator. According to Baxter, this resulted in Baxter being denied the chance to score for a major motion picture. The job went instead to Baxter's friend Bronisław Kaper. Baxter said that he would give his compositions to orchestrators to orchestrate to deal with a hectic schedule. Baxter's frequent conductor and orchestrator Hall Daniels also said the criticisms were the result of "sour grapes" by people who held a grudge against Baxter for one reason or another. Skip Heller spent time working for and studying under Baxter where he witnessed various score sheets of original Baxter compositions, including

's "Xtabay" and "Tumpa". According to Heller, they were all in Baxter's own handwriting. Furthermore, the Les Baxter papers, which are housed at the University of Arizona, show a significant number of arrangements in his own hand.

Awards

Baxter has a motion picture star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

at 6314 Hollywood Blvd.

Selected filmography

*'' The Black Sleep'' (1956) *'' Rebel in Town'' (1956) * '' Wetbacks'' (1956) *'' A Woman's Devotion'' (1956) *'' Voodoo Island'' (1957) *'' Pharaoh's Curse'' (1957) *''

Untamed Youth ''Untamed Youth'' is a 1957 American teen film directed by Howard W. Koch, written by John C. Higgins and Stephen Longstreet, and starring Mamie Van Doren and Lori Nelson as two starstruck sisters who are sentenced to farm labor. Plot Sisters ...

'' (1957) *''

The Invisible Boy ''The Invisible Boy'' (aka ''S.O.S Spaceship'') is a 1957 black and white American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, directed by Herman Hoffman, and starring Richard Eyer and Philip Abbott. It is the s ...

'' (1957) *''

The Dalton Girls ''The Dalton Girls'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Reginald Le Borg and starring Merry Anders, Lisa Davis, Penny Edwards, Sue George and John Russell. Plot Two men on horseback are fleeing a posse. Pistol shots are exchanged ...

'' (1957) *'' The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold'' (1958) *'' The Fiend Who Walked the West'' (1958) *'' Macabre'' (1958) *'' House of Usher'' (1960) *'' The Pit and the Pendulum'' (1961) *'' Master of the World'' (1961) *'' Panic in Year Zero!'' (1962) *''

Tales of Terror ''Tales of Terror'' is a 1962 American International Pictures horror film in colour and Panavision, produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff, James H. Nicholson, and Roger Corman, who also directed. The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson, and the ...

'' (1962) *''

The Young Racers ''The Young Racers'' is a 1963 sports drama film directed by Roger Corman and starring Mark Damon, William Campbell, Luana Anders and Patrick Magee. It is based on the Formula One races in Europe. Plot Joe Machin ( William Campbell), an Ameri ...

'' (1963) *'' The Raven'' (1963) *'' The Comedy of Terrors'' (1963) *'' X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes'' (1963) *'' Beach Party'' (1963) *''

'' (1964) *'' Bikini Beach'' (1964) *'' Pajama Party'' (1964) *''

'' (1965) *'' How to Stuff a Wild Bikini'' (1965) *''

Sergeant Deadhead ''Sergeant Deadhead'' is a 1965 musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Frankie Avalon. It features many cast members who appeared in the ''Beach Party'' movies. Plot Sergeant Deadhead is a bumbling soldier who is sent to the g ...

'' (1965) *'' Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine'' (1965) *''

The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini ''Ghost in the Invisible Bikini'' is the seventh and last of American International Pictures' beach party films. Released in 1966, the film features the cast cavorting in and around a haunted house and the adjacent swimming pool. No beach appe ...

'' (1966) *'' Fireball 500'' (1966) *'' Wild in the Streets'' (1968) *''

The Mini-Skirt Mob ''The Mini-Skirt Mob'' is a 1968 outlaw biker film about an all-female motorcycle gang. The film was directed by Maury Dexter, and stars Diane McBain, Jeremy Slate, Sherry Jackson, Patty McCormack, Harry Dean Stanton and Sandra Marshall. P ...

'' (1968) *'' Target: Harry'' (1969) *''

Hell's Belles The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them. 0–9 198 A A-Force A-Next A.I. Army Because of his revelation that he is now a simulated A ...

'' (1969) *'' Flareup'' (1969) *'' The Dunwich Horror'' (1970) *''

'' (1970) *'' Frogs'' (1972) *''

Baron Blood Baron Blood is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Baron Blood, John Falsworth, first appeared in ''The Invaders'' #7 (July 1976). The second incarnation, Victor ...

'' (1972 - US soundtrack) *''

I Escaped from Devil's Island ''I Escaped from Devil's Island'' is a 1973 exploitation film about an escape attempt from Devil's Island. Roger Corman and Gene Corman produced this grim adventure saga which was made to cash in on the release of '' Papillon''. Plot summary Pr ...

'' (1973) *'' The Devil and LeRoy Bassett'' (1973) *''

Savage Sisters ''Savage Sisters'' is a 1974 women in prison film made in the Philippines and directed by Eddie Romero. It was the last and most expensive of several movies actor/producer John Ashley filmed in that country. Plot In a revolution-torn country, ...

'' (1974) *'' Switchblade Sisters'' (1975) *''

Born Again Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and se ...

'' (1978) *''

The Beast Within ''The Beast Within'' is a 1982 American horror film directed by Philippe Mora and starring Ronny Cox, Bibi Besch, Paul Clemens, L. Q. Jones, Don Gordon, R. G. Armstrong, Logan Ramsey, Katherine Moffat, and Meshach Taylor. ''The Beast Within'' ...

'' (1982) *'' Lightning in a Bottle'' (1993)

Discography

Albums, soundtracks and compilations

* (1947) ''

Music Out of the Moon ''Music Out of the Moon: Music Unusual Featuring the Theremin - Themes by Harry Revel'' (Capitol CC-47) is an album consisting of six songs on three 10-inch, 78 rpm records by bandleader Les Baxter and composer Harry Revel with theremin player D ...

'' (composed by

Harry Revel Harry Revel ( Glaser; 21 December 1905 – 3 November 1958) was a British-born American composer, mostly of musical theatre, working with various lyricists, notably Mack Gordon. He is also seen as a pioneer of " space age pop". Early life and c ...

) * (1948) ''Perfume Set To Music'' (composed by Harry Revel) * (1949) ''Music for Peace of Mind'' * (1950)

: ''Voice of the Xtabay'' * (1951) ''Arthur Murray Favorites: Tangos'' * (1951) '' Ritual of the Savage (Le sacre du sauvage)'' * (1953) ''Festival of the Gnomes'' (composed by Camillo Ruspoli, 2nd Prince of Candriano) * (1954) ''Thinking of You'' * (1954) '' The Passions'' (featuring

Bas Sheva Bas Sheva (July 25, 1925 – February 11, 1960), the stage name of Bernice Kanefsky, was an American singer, prominent in the 1950s. Although she began singing Jewish traditional and Hazzan, cantorial music, her career branched out into popul ...

) * (1955) ''Arthur Murray Favorites: Modern Waltzes'' * (1955) ''Kaleidoscope'' * (1955) '' Tamboo!'' * (1956) ''

Les Baxter's La Femme ''Les Baxter's La Femme'' is an album by French conductor Franck Pourcel and His French Strings. It was released in 1956 on the Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature m ...

'' * (1956) '' Caribbean Moonlight'' * (1957) '' Skins! Bongo Party with Les Baxter'' * (1957) '' 'Round the World with Les Baxter'' * (1957) ''Midnight on the Cliffs'' * (1957) ''Ports of Pleasure'' * (1957) ''Pharaoh's Curse (aka) Curse of the Pharaoh'' * (1958) '' Space Escapade'' * (1958) ''Selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein's

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' * (1958) ''Confetti'' * (1958) ''Love is a Fabulous Thing'' * (1959) '' Les Baxter's African Jazz'' * (1959) '' Les Baxter's Jungle Jazz'' * (1959) ''Les Baxter's Wild Guitars'' * (1959) ''Barbarian (Goliath and the Barbarians)'' ST* (1960) '' The Sacred Idol'' ST* (1960) ''House of Usher / The Fall of the House of Usher'' ST* (1960) ''Les Baxter's Teen Drums'' * (1960) ''Baxter's Best'' * (1960) ''Young Pops'' * (1961) ''Broadway '61'' * (1961) ''Alakazam the Great'' ST* (1961) '' Jewels of the Sea'' * (1961) ''Master of the World'' ST* (1961) ''Wild Hi-Fi Drums / Wild Stereo Drums'' * (1962) ''Sensational!'' * (1962) ''Exotica Suite'' * (1962) ''Voices in Rhythm'' * (1962) ''The Primitive and the Passionate'' * (1962) ''The Fabulous Sounds of Les Baxter: Strings, Guitars, Voices!'' * (1963) ''Les Baxter's Balladeers'' * (1963) ''The Academy Award Winners'' * (1963) ''The Soul of the Drums'' * (1966) '' Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs'' (1966) ST* (1966) The Forum: ''The River is Wide'' * (1966) ''Brazil Now'' * (1967) ''Love is Blue'' * (1967) ''African Blue'' * (1968) ''Moog Rock'' * (1968) ''Hell's Belles'' ST* (1969) ''All the Loving Couples'' ST* (1969) ''Bora Bora'' ST* (1969) ''Bugaloo in Brazil'' * (1970) ''Que Mango!'' * (1970) ''Million Seller Hits'' * (1970) ''Cry of the Banshee'' ST* (1971) ''Music of the Devil God Cult: Strange Sounds from Dunwich – The Dunwich Horror'' ST* (1973) ''

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped def ...

'' (1963) ST* (1975) ''Movie Themes'' * (1975) ''Hit Songs from Spain'' * (1978) ''Born Again'' * (1995) ''The Lost Episode of Les Baxter'' (1961) riginal Television Soundtrack* (1996) ''By Popular Request'' * (1996) ''The Exotic Moods of Les Baxter''

Singles

* (1951) " Because of You" * (1952) "

Blue Tango "Blue Tango" is an instrumental composition by Leroy Anderson, written for orchestra in 1951 and published in 1952. It was later turned into a popular song with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. Numerous artists have since covered "Blue Tango". Song hi ...

" * (1952) "Lonely Wine" * (1953) " April in Portugal" * (1953) "

" * (1953) "

I Love Paris "I Love Paris" is a popular song written by Cole Porter and published in 1953. The song was introduced by Lilo in the musical '' Can-Can''. A line in the song's lyrics inspired the title of the 1964 movie '' Paris When It Sizzles''. Notable re ...

" * (1954) " The High and the Mighty" * (1955) " Unchained Melody" * (1955) "Medic" * (1955) "

Wake the Town and Tell the People "Wake the Town and Tell the People" is a popular song with music by Jerry Livingston and lyrics by Sammy Gallop, published in 1955. This song is a wedding day number complete with the chorus imitating the sound of wedding bells, as well as the s ...

" * (1956) "Foreign Intrigue" * (1956) " The Poor People of Paris" * (1956) "Tango of the Drums" * (1956) "Giant" * (1959) "Dance, Everyone Dance" * (1960) "Pepe"

References

External links

*
Les Baxter Collection at the University of Arizona
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baxter, Les 1922 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical musicians American film score composers American music arrangers Capitol Records artists Burials at Pacific View Memorial Park Easy listening musicians Exotica La-La Land Records artists Les Baxter's Balladeers members American male film score composers Musicians from Detroit People from Mexia, Texas Pepperdine University alumni Record producers from Texas RCA Victor artists Varèse Sarabande Records artists