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Henry Stone


Chalky

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Was sent this by Henry, thought you might like a read......

Below is a press release regarding the exciting news of the recognition of

Henry Stone's contribution to the dance music scene. Included with the

press release is a short bio summarizing a few of Stone's many

acheivements in the music scene. A press photo is also availabe upon

request. If you need any more information, please do not hesitate to

contact us. Contact information is at the end.

-----------------------------------

September 14, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Henry Stone, the founder of TK Records, will receive The Special Lifetime

Achievement Award in New York City on January 20th from the Dance Music

Hall of Fame.

Stone, a pioneer in the record business, founded TK Records. In the 70's

the label became the number one independent record label in the world as

it released hit after hit that topped the dance music charts.

With chart toppers as KC and The Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight",

"That's The Way I Like It", George McCrae's "Rock Your Baby", and so many

more, TK kept the dance floors and film soundtracks dancing around the

world.

Henry Stone is the only non performing-artist receiving an award this

year.

According to Stone, "I really appreciate the honor of being recognized for

the hit records I released over the past 30 years. It means that what we

did then has had a lasting affect around the world. The disco era was

great. I am looking forward to attending this event."

The Dance Music Hall of Fame was established to recognize the

contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution

and development of dance music and to celebrate the history and

significance of dance music.

Artists and others that helped to shape the dance music industry become

eligible for induction 25 years after their first contribution or record

release. Some of the criteria considered include the influence and

significance of the nominee's contributions to the development and

perpetuation of dance music. Founding board-members of The Dance Music

Hall of Fame include Brian Chin (Music Historian and Former Billboard

Magazine Editor), Daniel Glass (President, Artemis Records), Eddie

O'Loughlin (President, Next Plateau Entertainment), John Parker (Vice

President, A&R/Dance Promotion, Robbins Entertainment) and Thomas

Silverman (Chairman, Tommy Boy Entertainment)." See the Dance Music Hall

Of Fame website at www.dmhof.com for further information.

For further information about Henry Stone, please see the attached bio.

-----------------------------------

The Legendary Henry Stone

Henry Stone has long been known around the world as one of the pioneers of

the record industry. In his almost six decades in the business he has

discovered talents that have sold millions of records and become

international stars, and he has formed record companies with hits so big

and meaningful that they created new categories in music. After working

with vinyl, cassettes, and CD's, Henry Stone is now moving into music's

digital era with worldwide digital distribution of his product through

some of the most popular download sites on the internet.

Stone was born in the Bronx, New York. He played the trumpet, and after

the Army he moved to Los Angeles where, in 1946, he started his career by

selling records to jukebox operators from the trunk of his car.

In 1948 he moved to Miami and started to record and distribute the

abundance of great Miami Doo-Wop, Blues, Gospel and R&B artists. He

wanted to funk up the world, and he started doing just that via his own

Chart, Rockin' and Glory labels.

And he dabbled in production. Stone was one of the first to record Ray

Charles, James Brown, Wilbert Harrison, Sam & Dave and Hank ballad's "The

Twist". His first million selling hit was The Charms' "Hearts of Stone"

in 1955. Other records from that era include Otis Williams and the Charms

on Rockin' Records with "Ling, Ting, Tong", "Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin')"

and "Two Hearts"; Nat Kendrick and the Swans (James Brown's Band), on Dade

with "(Do The) Mashed Potatoes".

Henry soon launched a dozen more Miami based record labels as Dade,

Glades, Marlin and Scott in the 50s. He also founded Tone Distributors

which became one of the most successful independent record distribution

companies.

Stone's greatest worldwide successes came during the seventies. He was

brilliant at discovering and nurturing new talent. With Tone Distributors

and a little label called TK Records built into a row of warehouses in

Hialeah, Florida, an industrial area west of Miami, far from the major

record business centers, he exploded with what became the number one

independent record label in the world.

Stone had let two kids who were working in the warehouse experiment in the

recording studio. KC and Rick wrote the number one "Rock Your Baby" which

George McCrae sang, and soon, as KC and The Sunshine Band, released their

own string of number one hits such as "Get Down Tonight" and "That's The

Way I Like It". With hits that kept dance floors and film soundtracks

hopping all over the world, Henry Stone's TK Records helped create and

lead the disco phenomenon.

At the same time that he spearheaded the disco era, Henry Stone and label

VP Steve Alaimo, himself a former teen idol and hit recording artist, had

created another new category in music idolized around the world - "The

Miami Sound." In addition to KC and The Sunshine Band and George McCrae,

TK's recording artists included Betty Wright ("Clean Up Woman"), Timmy

Thomas ("Why Can't We Live Together"), Clarence Reid ("Nobody But You

Babe"), Little Beaver ("Party Down"), Peter Brown ("Do You Wanna Get Funky

With Me", "Dance With Me"), Bobby Caldwell ("What You Won't Do For Love"),

Anita Ward ("Ring My Bell"), Beginning of the End ("Funky Nassau"), Foxy

("Get Off"), T-Connection ("Do What You Wanna Do"), Gwen McCrae ("Rockin

Chair") and Latimore with such greats as "Let's Straighten It Out", "Keep

the Home Fire Burnin'", "Something 'Bout 'Cha".

Henry Stone is indeed a living legend. He is one of the last independent

label executives who was one of the heavyweights with artists from the

40s, 50s, and 60s and label heads like Syd Nathan, George Goldner, the

Bihari Brothers, Ewart Abner, the Erteguns, Jerry Wexler, Hy Weiss, and

Morris Levy.

For decades, followers of Henry Stone and his music have made pilgrimages

to Florida from all corners of the globe to meet the man who has uniquely

worked with so many greats, and so many genres, for so many years. In

fact, it is with the help of some of his loyal admirers that Stone has

been able to find and digitize some of the old and lost rare classic

records by artists like Ray Charles, James Brown, Earl Hooker, Steve

Alaimo, Nat Kendrick and The Swans, Yvonne Fair, Lightnin' Hopkins, and

many more.

On his new label, The Legendary Henry Stone Presents, music lovers

everywhere will now be able to listen to many of the rare and cherished

classics created by Henry Stone as they are released digitally for all the

world to treasure.

-------------------------

Contact Information:

Henry Stone Music, Inc.

1 Grove Isle, PH 7

Miami, FL 33133

Phone: 305-285-1475, Fax: 305-285-9685

www.henrystonemusic.com

henrystonemusic@aol.com

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The one time owner of TONE Distributors, Miami, where a young John Anderson scored a massive hit in 74. An even younger Kevster got the tail end of it at the House of Sounds in Upper Darby,PA. Inevitably there must have been 200,000 Dade singles there for 25 cents each.

Henry is a true legend.

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