Hy Weiss, 84; Romanian native co-founded ‘50s R&B; label Old Town
Hy Weiss, 84, a music executive during rock ‘n’ roll’s doo-wop era and beyond, died March 20 in Englewood, N.J.
A native of Romania who was raised in the Bronx, Weiss started the Old Town record label in New York City in the 1950s with his brother, Sam, after working as a salesman for several small labels that specialized in R&B.;
Among Old Town’s biggest hits in the late 1950s and early ‘60s were “There’s a Moon Out Tonight” by the Capris, “Let the Little Girl Dance” by Billy Bland, “Remember Then” by the Earls and “We Belong Together” by Robert and Johnny.
Old Town also recorded blues artists, including Willie Dixon, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. In the 1960s, the label featured crooner Arthur Prysock.
Weiss sold Old Town in 1996. His son, Barry Weiss, is president and chief executive of the Zomba Label Group, a unit of Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
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