Phil Chess
{{Short description|American record executive (1921–2016)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Phil Chess
| birth_name = Fiszel Czyż
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|3|27}}
| birth_place = Motal, Poland (now Belarus)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|10|18|1921|3|27}}
| death_place = Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
| background = non_performing_personnel
| occupation = Record company executive
| genre = Chicago blues, electric blues, blues, rock and roll, R&B, soul music
| years_active = 1950–1972
| label = Chess Records
}}
Philip Chess (born Fiszel Czyż; March 27, 1921 – October 18, 2016) was a Polish-born American record company executive, the founder of Chess Records alongside his brother Leonard.{{cite book|last1=Broven|first1=John|title=Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers|date=2010|publisher=First Illinois Paperback|location=United States|isbn=978-0-252-03290-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/recordmakersbrea0000brov/page/499 499]|url=https://archive.org/details/recordmakersbrea0000brov/page/499}}
Early life
Chess was born to a Polish-Jewish family{{Cite web|last=Bloom|first=Nate|author-link=Nate Bloom |title=Jewish Stars
|publisher=Cleveland Jewish News|date=December 5, 2008|url=https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/jewish-stars/article_267bed47-31ea-5941-8a06-f04ecc105ae1.html}} in the village of Motal, then in eastern Poland and now part of Belarus.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/phil-chess-co-founder-of-music-label-that-brought-blues-to-the-world-dies-at-95/2016/10/20/e62cc34c-9631-11e6-bb29-bf2701dbe0a3_story.html |title=Phil Chess, co-founder of music label that brought blues to the world, dies at 95 |first=Terence |last=McArdle |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 20, 2016}} He and his brother Lejzor, sister Malka and mother followed their father to Chicago in 1928. The family name was changed to Chess, with Lejzor becoming Leonard and Fiszel becoming Philip.{{cite web |url=http://www.bluestogold.com/index2.html |title=Spinning Blues Into Gold, by Nadine Cohodas |publisher=Bluestogold.com |access-date=July 7, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204194237/http://www.bluestogold.com/index2.html |archive-date=February 4, 2017 }}
Career
Chess served in the army during World War II. In 1946, after leaving the Army, Phil joined Leonard in running a popular club, the Macomba Lounge. Two years later, Leonard became a partner in Aristocrat Records, a local company that recorded a wide range of music,{{cite web |url=http://campber.people.clemson.edu/aristocrat.html |first1=Robert L. |last1=Campbell |first2=Robert |last2=Pruter |first3=George R. |last3=White |first4=Tom |last4=Kelly |first5=George |last5=Paulus |title=The Aristocrat Label |access-date=July 7, 2013}} and Phil joined in 1950. The company then changed its name to Chess Records, and began concentrating on R&B music, signing and recording artists such as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, "Sonny Boy Williamson" (Rice Miller), Robert Lockwood Jr., Etta James, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf and Chuck Berry.{{cite magazine|author=John Sippel|title=Chess LPs Trace Rock's Roots|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OyQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT10|date=September 18, 1982|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=10–|issn=0006-2510}} Phil Chess was actively involved in producing many of their blues and rock and roll recordings. The company expanded successfully through the 1950s and early 1960s, until it was sold to GRT in 1969.
Chess was also a co-founder with his brother of L & P Broadcasting, which operated radio station WSDM.{{cite magazine|author=Carry Baker|title=Hawaiian purchases Chicago WLUP-FM|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JCUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT27|date=January 20, 1979|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=27–|issn=0006-2510}}
Retirement
Phil Chess retired to Arizona in 1972.{{cite magazine|title=Inside Track|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-iQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT73|date=December 18, 1976|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=73–|issn=0006-2510}} Phil and Leonard Chess were both inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame as non-performers in 1995. In February 2013, Phil Chess attended the ceremony to receive one of The Recording Academy's Trustees Awards for non-performers presented to him and his brother.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/1538651/anoushka-shankar-the-temptations-chess-records-more |title=Anoushka Shankar, The Temptations, Chess Records, More Celebrated at Grammy Special Merit Awards |first=Ryan J. |last=Downey |magazine=Billboard |date=February 10, 2013}}
Death
Chess died at his home in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 95.{{cite news |last1=O'Donnell|first1=Maureen|title=Phil Chess, co-founder of Chicago's Chess Records, dead at 95|url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/phil-chess-legendary-founder-of-chess-records-dies-at-95/ |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=October 20, 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Martin|first1=Douglas|title=Phil Chess, Whose Record Label Elevated Unknown Blues Musicians, Dies at 95 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/arts/music/phil-chess-dead.html |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=October 20, 2016|date=October 19, 2016}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.history-of-rock.com/chess_records.htm Chess Records]
- [http://www.bsnpubs.com/chess/chesscheck.html The Chess Story]
- [http://culture.pl/en/article/chess-records-how-two-polish-brothers-made-music-history Chess Records: How Two Polish Brothers Made Music History]
{{All Platinum Records}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chess, Phil}}
Category:Polish emigrants to the United States
Category:American music industry executives
Category:Jewish American military personnel
Category:United States Army personnel of World War II
Category:Businesspeople from Chicago
Category:20th-century Polish Jews
Category:Polish military personnel
Category:20th-century American businesspeople