Finding Aid for Morris and Barnard Young Music Business Records, 1832-1988 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Title: Morris and Barnard Young Music Business Records, 1832-1988

ID: 12/9/108

Primary Creator: Young, Barnard A. (1911-1969)

Other Creators: Kendrick, Merle T. (1896-1968), Singer, Charles Louis (1912-1966), Whiting, George A. (1884-1943), Wickes, Edward M. (ca. 1880-1951), Young, Morris N. (1909-2002)

Extent: 50.7 cubic feet

Arrangement:

Organized in seven series.

Series 1: Business Records and Personal Papers

Consists of business and personal correspondence, royalty statements, ledgers, and artist photographs and press releasesl from all major company affiliations.  These include Cavanaugh Radio & Television Productions, Denton & Haskins, Inc., Fargo Music, Ferris Records, Gem Music, Inc.,  Gloro Records, Intercollegiate Music League and Intercollegiate Syndicate, Life Music, Inc., National Juke Box Music, Operator's Music, Inc., Savannah Music, Inc., S.I.A.S., Song and Words Magazine, Song Fan Magazine, Song of the Month, Song Gems, Inc., and Song Greetings, Inc. Arranged into six sub-series, which are as follows: sub-series 1) Business Records, sub-series 2) Promotional Materials and Photographs, sub-series 3) Radio Logs, sub-series 4) Barnard Young Papers and Correspondence, sub-series 5) Morris Young Papers and Correspondence, and sub-series 6) Published Music and Manuscript Submissions.

Series 2: Litigation Files

Consists of legal briefs, reports, legal opinions, publications and supporting documentation for Barnard Young's lawsuit brought by Life Music, Inc. against BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, RCA, NBC, CBS, Columbia Records, Inc., Blackwood Music, Inc., Master Records, Inc. and April Music, Inc.  In addition there are documents related to United States v. ASCAP, United States v. BMI, and Life Music, Inc., Barney Young (also known as Don Fenton) and Gloria Parker (also known as Patricia Smith) v. Wonderland Music Company, Walt Disney Productions, Buena Vista Records, Julie Andrews, Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman and BMI.  Unarranged.

Series 3: Barnard and Morris Young Music Company Periodicals and Publications

Consists of music periodicals, publications, and printing plates produced by companies either owned or operated by Barnard and Morris Young between 1928 and 1966.  Unarranged.  Printing plates have been placed at the end of this series.

Series 4: Non-Young Company Periodicals and Publications

Consists of music periodicals and publications collected by Barnard and Morris Young.  The materials are organized two sub-series: the first contains serials, sheet music, songsters, and other related music publications, and the second subseries contains information related to the business of music publication and United States copyright law. Arranged into two sub-series, which are as follows: sub-series 1) Periodicals and Other Publications and sub-series 2) Music Publishing and Copyright Documents.

Series 5: Merle Kendrick Papers and Music

Consists of original music arrangements and manuscripts by Merle Kendrick that were created for several radio broadcast shows.  The materials are organized by broadcast title and then arranged alphabetically by selection title.  Included are radio scripts, published scores and arrangements, press materials, and personal correspondence. Arranged into sub-series, which are as follows: sub-series 1) Bringing Up Father, sub-series 2) Cheers from the Camps, sub-series 3) DuMont Television, sub-series 4) Let's Play Tune Detective, sub-series 5) Life with the Wolley's, sub-series 6) Listen America, sub-series 7) Ruggles of Red Gap, sub-series 8) Saturday Night Bond Wagon, sub-series 9) Scores and Manuscripts, sub-series 10) Correspondence, Papers, and Miscellaneous Scripts.

Series 6: George Whiting Papers

Consists of music manuscripts, published music, radio scripts, and papers created by and relating to lyricist George Whiting.  Content is arranged first by type and then alphabetically by title.

Series 7: E.M. Wickes Papers

Consists of manuscripts, papers, periodicals, and ephemera related to writings of E. M. Wickes, a music critic and historian.  Also includes a subseries of music manuscripts by Lou Singer.  Items are arranged alphabetically by title. Arranged into sub-series, which are as follows: sub-series 1) Manuscripts and Published Newspaper Collumns and sub-series 2) Lou Singer Scores.

Date Acquired: 00/00/1995

Subjects: American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Copyright, Jazz, Legal Cases, Litigation, Magazines, Music business, Music Publishers, Newspapers, Publications, Publicity, Radio, Radio and music--Illinois--Chicago, Radio Broadcasting, Radio Station - WLS, Royalties, Vaudeville, Vaudeville songs -- United States

Formats/Genres: Arrangements (Music), Broadsides, Business Records, Financial Records, Photographs, Sheet music

Languages: English

The Morris and Barnard Young Business Records consists of financial records, correspondence, royalty statements, songsters and broadsides, radio logs, legal documents, periodicals, music manuscripts, and memorabilia including fliers, brochures, and playbills that were compiled by Morris N. Young, documenting Barnard "Barney" Young's ownership and management of several music publishing, marketing, producing, and artist representation enterprises owned and operated by the brothers between ca. 1934 and 1972. The collection contains legal reports and supporting documentation from key litigation cases that were filed by Barnard Young in the 1950s and 1960s against Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) et. al., and the Walt Disney Corporation. The collection also includes periodicals and publications both generated by companies owned by one or both of the Young brothers and those that they collected. The final three series are publications and manuscripts, both musical and prose, created by associates of the Youngs. Also includes the papers of composer and music director Merle T. Kendrick, lyricist George A. Whiting, lyricist and author Edward M. Wickes, and composer Lou Singer.

Barnard "Barney" Abraham Young (1911-1969) was a music businessman and lawyer. Young was born in Lawrence, Massachussetts. The son of Charles Michael and Ida (Davis) Young. In high school, Young played violin, viola, and baritone horn and participated in the orchestra, band, and glee clubs. Young received his BA and an LLB degrees from Harvard Universityin 1932 and 1935 respectively. Together with his brother Morris, he began assembling a library of popular american music sheet music in 1935; a collection that expanded throughout his life. While studying law, Young composed original music and founded the Intercollegiate Music League, Inc. of Cambridge, Massachussetts; he would eventually compose over 200 compositions throughout his life. Through this organization, he published several song books including Songs of the American Colleges and Songs of the American Women's Colleges. During WWII he a served as a sergeant in the US Army. Upon returning to the United States, Young worked as a music business owner, publisher, and lawyer.

Throughout his career as a music lawyer, he provided tesitmony and fought for more equitable distribution of fees for performers. He was involved in several legal music unions including the International Songwriters Clearance Corp.; Life Music Corp.; Society of Interpretative Artists and Songs, Inc.; Colored Performing Rights Society of America, Inc.; Guild of Performing Artists, Publishers, and Writers, Inc.; National Jukebox Music, Inc.; and Life Music Clearance, Inc. As a business owner he founded several ASCAP-liscenced businesses including Gem Music Corp.; Con Conrad Music, Ltd.; Denton & Haskins Corp., Intercollegiate Syndicate, Inc.; Mammouth Music, Inc.; and Barnard Music, Inc.; BMI-liscenced businesses including Bomart Music Corp.; Life Music,. Inc.; and Godell Music Inc., among many others; and non-affiliated businesses including Landmark Music, Inc.; Reserve Music, Inc.; and Rhythm and Blues, Inc.

In addition to his production companies and union activities, Young established several sheet music distributors including Song Distributing Corp. and National Distributing & Publishing Corp. As the sheet music industry migrated to radio and televsion, Young began managing several radio businesses including Bardan Productions, Inc. and Cavanagh Radio and TV Productions, Inc. Young managed several musical acts throughout the 1940s and 50s including Cliffe Natalie Orchestra, Charles Jaynes Jr., Angelo Ferdinando (Don Ferdi) Orchestra, Leroy Smith Orchestra, Una Mae Carlisle and Orchestra, Gloria Parker and Orchestra, Barry Valentino, Rosalie Young, La Velma, and Rayt Sneed.

In 1966, Young assisted in establishing music publishing houses in Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Kenya, and Guyana. This project was ceased with Young's death in 1969.

American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
Copyright
Jazz
Legal Cases
Litigation
Magazines
Music business
Music Publishers
Newspapers
Publications
Publicity
Radio
Radio and music--Illinois--Chicago
Radio Broadcasting
Radio Station - WLS
Royalties
Vaudeville
Vaudeville songs -- United States

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Acquisition Method:

The UIUC Music Library purchased a related collection, the Morris Young Music Library of Early American Popular Music, in 1986 from rare book broker, J. Lubrano in New York. The business records were acquired in a subsequent gift from the collector's estate ca. 1995.

Box 127 transferred from MPAL: 4/12/2017

Related Materials: See also record series number 35/3/68.