Topic: Don Law

[heals]

Anybody know of any books or have any info on Don Law ? His name keeps popping up in bio's I;ve read ie. Lefty Frizzell , R Johnson , etc etc..Guy was either in the right place at the right time, or, manged to record some of the best artists in music history cause he knew what he was doin! Surprised to find very little on google - am I missing something?

[Stuart]

I recently read something about him, but for the life of me I can't recall where it was. There's this (which you may have seen already):

http://countrymusichalloffame.org/full-list-of-inductees/view/don-law

http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/don_law.htm

[Shovel]

Story on 508 Park in Dallas mentioning Don Law ... http://www.dallasobserver.com/2009-01-22/news/at-thecrossroads/

Related document Don Law wrote handwritten notes in response to after a request for background info on the Columbia Robert Johnson LP back in the 60s

[TallahatchieTrot]

Law started working for Brunswick/Vocalion as early as 1930 In Dallas---first as a salesman. He started recording in Texas as early as 1934 under Art Satherley's direction. He came to Jackson in October 1935 to be part of the Jackson  session for ARC set up by H. C. Speir.. He and Speir also took a scouting trip the Delta, Speir recalled but did not know what year it was.
    Law started recording Texas talent by 1935 by himself while Satherley stayed in NYC.  He did most of the Dallas and San Antonio sessions himself but Satherley came to Texas to record Bob Wills and Roy Acuff personally.
       He hired Ernie Oertle to be the Vocalion/ARC sales rep out of New Orleans and Oertle brought RJ to San Antonio. When ARC was bought out and discontinued, Law worked for Satherely and Okeh--bought by CBS  Radio in 1938.  After WW Two, Satherely  split duties and Law recorded and found talent for Columbia--Sathereley retired in 1951 and Law stayed mostly in Dallas but opened an office in Nashville. He found Lefty Frizell and Marty Robins and was one of the most powerful A@R men in country music in the 1960s and 70s. He did most of Johnny Cash's sessions  for Columbia. 
       But he started in Dallas as a salesman and then became recording for the jukebox market in the southwest. gdw

[Mr.OMuck]

Thank's Shovel...facinating!

[Rivers]

Well worth the read Shovel, thanks.

I can almost smell the carbon paper.

[heals]

Thanks Tala / Shovel thats some great info!  I've been learning some Bob Wills / Lefty Frizzell numbers for a set I'm doing this summer - its remarkable how fine the line was between race, hillbilly & western swing styles. Anyhow, Don Law seemed to have had his fingers in all three glorious pies .  Its amazing to me that he isnt as famous or more famous than Sam Phillips...heals

[thickpete]

It's all One Song until time comes to sell it to someone or divide one group of people from another, etc. isn't it??  Then those genre names are mandatory!  But Bob Wills is still the king!