Phil Chess Explained

Phil Chess
Birth Name:Fiszel Czyż
Birth Date:27 March 1921
Birth Place:Motal, Poland (now Belarus)
Death Place:Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Background:non_performing_personnel
Occupation:Record company executive
Genre:Chicago blues, electric blues, blues, rock and roll, R&B, soul music
Years Active:1950–1972
Label:Chess

Philip Chess (born Fiszel Czyż; March 27, 1921 – October 18, 2016) was a Polish-born American record producer and company executive, the co-founder with his brother of Chess Records.[1]

Early life

Chess was born to a Polish-Jewish family[2] in the village of Motal, then in eastern Poland and now part of Belarus.[3] He and his brother Lejzor, sister Malka and mother followed their father to Chicago in 1928. The family name was changed to Chess, with Lejzor becoming Leonard and Fiszel becoming Philip.[4]

Career

Chess served in the army during World War II. In 1946, after leaving the Army, Phil joined Leonard in running a popular club, the Macomba Lounge. Two years later, Leonard became a partner in Aristocrat Records, a local company that recorded a wide range of music,[5] and Phil joined in 1950. The company then changed its name to Chess Records, and began concentrating on R&B music, signing and recording artists such as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, "Sonny Boy Williamson" (Rice Miller), Robert Lockwood Jr., Etta James, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf and Chuck Berry.[6] Phil Chess was actively involved in producing many of their blues and rock and roll recordings. The company expanded successfully through the 1950s and early 1960s, until it was sold to GRT in 1968.

Chess was also a co-founder with his brother of L & P Broadcasting, which operated radio station WSDM.[7]

Retirement

Phil Chess retired to Arizona in 1972.[8] Phil and Leonard Chess were both inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame as non-performers in 1995. In February 2013, Phil Chess attended the ceremony to receive one of The Recording Academy's Trustees Awards for non-performers presented to him and his brother.[9]

Death

Chess died at his home in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 95.[10] [11]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Broven. John. Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers. 2010. First Illinois Paperback. United States. 978-0-252-03290-5. 499.
  2. Web site: Bloom. Nate. Nate Bloom . Jewish Stars . Cleveland Jewish News. December 5, 2008.
  3. News: Phil Chess, co-founder of music label that brought blues to the world, dies at 95 . Terence . McArdle . . October 20, 2016.
  4. Web site: Spinning Blues Into Gold, by Nadine Cohodas . Bluestogold.com . 2013-07-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170204194237/http://www.bluestogold.com/index2.html . 2017-02-04 .
  5. Web site: The Aristocrat Label . Robert L. . Campbell . Robert . Pruter . George R. . White . Tom . Kelly . George . Paulus . July 7, 2013.
  6. John Sippel. Chess LPs Trace Rock's Roots. Billboard. 18 September 1982. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 10–. 0006-2510.
  7. Carry Baker. Hawaiian purchases Chicago WLUP-FM. Billboard. 20 January 1979. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 27–. 0006-2510.
  8. Inside Track. Billboard. 18 December 1976. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 73–. 0006-2510.
  9. Anoushka Shankar, The Temptations, Chess Records, More Celebrated at Grammy Special Merit Awards . Ryan J. . Downey . . February 10, 2013.
  10. News: O'Donnell. Maureen. Phil Chess, co-founder of Chicago's Chess Records, dead at 95. . 20 October 2016.
  11. News: Martin. Douglas. Phil Chess, Whose Record Label Elevated Unknown Blues Musicians, Dies at 95 . The New York Times. 20 October 2016. 19 October 2016.

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