ALPERT

Herb Alpert, born in Los Angeles on March 31, 1935, has made notable contributions to international music as a performer, songwriter, producer, and record company executive. In addition to the many accolades that he has received, Alpert has an entry in The Guinness Book of World Records for having five albums in the Billboard Top 20 at the same time.

Alpert began playing the trumpet at age eight, initially studying classical music until turning to jazz. He began performing regularly while at college and continued during military service. After his discharge from the army, Alpert met pop entrepreneur Lou Adler, and in 1958 the duo began writing songs together—most notably “Wonderful World” for Sam COOKE.

In I960, Alpert met promoter Jerry Moss and together they formed Carnival Records. Their first hit, “The Lonely Bull" (1962), sold over 700,000 copies, and was written by Sol Lake, who would go on to collaborate with Alpert on many other hits. After the success of “The Lonely Bull,” Alpert and Moss discovered that the Carnival name was already in use, so they took their initials to form a new company called A…M Records. Under the new label, Alpert’s own Latin pop group, the Tijuana Brass, scored a string of hits that included “The Mexican Shuffle,” “Tijuana Taxi,” “Casino Royale,” and “A Taste of Honey.”

Alpert (far right) is presented with his own Walk of Fame star by the Carpenters, Karen and Richard, who were one of the many A…M groups Alpert helped to make famous

For most of the 1960s, A…M Records depended on the success of Alpert and the Tijuana Brass to survive. But as the group grew in popularity—giving A…M Records an annual turnover of $50 million by 1968—Alpert was able to sign up other acts, such as Procol Hamm, Fairport Convention, and Joe Cocker. Alpert’s first hit as a vocalist also put the legendary songwrit-ing team of Burt BACHARACH and Hal David into the charts with “This Guy’s in Love with You” (1968). Alpert’s personal commitment to artists with a distinctive vision attracted countless talented pop musicians to the A…M label. It became the world’s largest independent record company in the 1970s and 1980s, with a roster that included Carole KING, the Carpenters, Janet Jackson, and the Police. Alpert and Moss sold A…M Records in 1989 for $500 million.

After A…M, Alpert got involved in other pursuits ranging from abstract art to the creation of a non-profit youth foundation. He also collaborated on various Broadway productions including “Jelly’s Last Jam,” which won three Tony Awards in 1992. However, the attraction of the music business drew Alpert back in 1994 when he and Moss formed Almo Sounds. A new album, appropriately titled Second Wind, was released in 1996, and the following year he added Passion Dance—a harder-edged album that explored jazz, rhythm, and groove—to the more than 72 million records sold throughout his outstanding career.

Linda Dailey Paulson

HERB

ALPERT