Chronicles
Volume One
Chapter One
Markin' Up the Score
Lou Levy, top man of Leeds Music Publishing
company, took me up in a taxi to the Pythian
Temple on West 70th Street to show me the pocket
sized recording studio where Bill Haley and His
Comets had recorded "Rock Around the Clock" - then
down to Jack Dempsey's restaurant on 58th
and Broadway, where we sat down in a red leather
upholstered booth facing the front window.
Lou introduced me to Jack Dempsey, the great
boxer. Jack shook his fist at me.
"You look too light for a heavyweight kid,
you'll have to put on a few pounds. You're gonna
have to dress a little finer, look a little
sharper - not that you'll need much in the way
of clothes when you're in the ring - don't be
afraid of hitting somebody too hard."
"He's not a boxer, Jack, he's a songwriter and
we'll be publishing his songs."
"Oh, yeah, well I hope to hear 'em some of these
days. Good luck to you, kid."
Outside the wind was blowing, straggling cloud
wisps, snow whirling in the red lanterned
streets, city types scuffling around, bundled up
- ... read full excerpt from Chronicles: Volume One ebook
