- Hank Medress
Hank Medress (
19 November ,1938 -18 June ,2007 ) was an American singer and record producer.Biography
Medress was born in
Brooklyn, New York and attended Brooklyn's Abraham Lincoln High School, where in 1955 he joined adoo-wop group called the Linc-Tones, which also includedNeil Sedaka . [http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/25/obit.medress.ap/index.html 'Lion Sleeps Tonight' singer dead] ] [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070623/ap_en_mu/obit_medress 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' singer dies] ] After Sedaka's departure, the group reformed with additional singers asThe Tokens . The Tokens achieved a number 1 chart success in 1961 with their arrangement ofthe Lion Sleeps Tonight , as well as other minor hits. Medress and the Tokens also were producers on hits for theChiffons , such asHe's So Fine .After leaving the Tokens, Medress co-produced (with
Dave Appell ) many ofTony Orlando and Dawn 's hits as well asMelissa Manchester 's LP. [ [http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings21.2jun21,1,4864855.story?track=rss "Los Angeles Times", "Hank Medress, 68; pop music producer, a member of the Tokens" June 21 2007] ] Later, he worked withDavid Johansen ,Rick Springfield ,Dan Hill , andRichard Simmons . [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/arts/music/22medress.html?ref=obituaries "New York Times", "Hank Medress, 68, Doo-Wop Singer on ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight’, Dies"] ] He was also president of EMI Music Publishing Canada, from 1990 to 1992.After returning to New York, Medress became a partner in Bottom Line Records, which released recordings of performances at the
Bottom Line club inGreenwich Village , as well as new work by emerging artists. In recent years, Medress had worked as a consultant forSoundExchange , an agency that collects royalties from digital broadcasters, like satellite and Internet radio.Medress died of lung cancer at his Manhattan home on
June 18 ,2007 , aged 68.References
External links
* [http://spectropop.com/HankMedress/index.htm - an interview]
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