Creed Taylor Produced

Looking back for references in books and magazines gives a single window into the lives of the musicians and staff that worked for and with the companies and labels where Creed Taylor produced music. It doesn’t tell you much about the person, in fact in many cases it doesn’t tell you anything. Among the 300-some folders I have on artists and people that came into Creed’s sphere I have one on Buzz Willis.

Winston “Buzz” Willis reached his sunset on March 25th, 2025, at the age of 89 – his family announced the passing on various social media platforms. There will be a memorial and celebration of his life on May 21st, 2025, at the historic St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Harlem.

Winston “Buzz” Willis played a pivotal role as a member of the first generation of Black music executives. He actively contributed to, organized efforts for, and fought against racial discrimination pervasive in both society and the music industry. My condolences are extended to his family and all who had the privilege of knowing Buzz. I hope this goes some way to recognizing and memorializing his contributions.

Buzz Willis came to CTI Records at an important period. Music was undergoing another seismic shift with funk and disco and the company itself under duress from talent poaching and legal cases, Willis would provide some key contacts and guidance. But who was Buzz Willis?

[This long-form biography sketch was pulled entirely from online and personal archives. If I have anything wrong, and major omissions, please leave a comment or contact me and I will update it.]

The Early years

Winston Willis was the child of Stanley and Wilhelmina (Hayles) Willis; his parents arrived in America from Kingston, Jamaica, in the British West Indies and married in New York in 1929. Stanley Willis’s occupation was listed as an elevator operator in an apartment building and later as a shipping clerk. Winston was born in 1935. Buzz and his parents lived on 146th St in Harlem. ^[1]Details from birth and marriage records NY State and US Census 1940/1950.

Winston “Buzz” Willis – Buzz and Buzzy are used interchangeably for most of Willis’ early career. It’s said that Willis got the nickname “Buzzy” for the way he could “buzz” around the basketball court in high school ^[2]Marv Goldberg, liner notes “Very Best Of The Solitaires”, Collectables Records Corp. COL-CD-6065. Buzz would become the preferred nomenclature in print.

He attended De Witt Clinton High School in Harlem, at the time a veritable training ground for the vocal groups that invented and delivered the doo-wop era of music ^[3]In the Midnight Hour: The Life & Soul of Wilson Pickett – Tony Fletcher – ISBN 9780190252946. Many of Willis’ peers would be part of his future.

Willis would become a key member of the group the Solitaires, landing them a number of early management opportunities through his contact Hal Jackson, a DJ, promoter, and manager. At the time, Willis worked as a record librarian for WLIB Radio; through Jackson, the group got an audition with Hy Weiss. Willis was in the Solitaires lineup that recorded in February 1954 for Old Town Records, the company founded by Sam and Hy Weiss at Madison Ave and 125th St. NY. (Seen here, Willis is in the front row, on the right.)

A Harlem native, Willis began his music business journey with Teddy Reig, a former A&R man for Savoy Records and owner of Royal Roost Records, an offshoot of the famous Royal Roost jazz club. As a label, Roost was home to Stan Getz in the 1950s ^[4]It is worth noting that Winston “Buzz” Willis is not the same person as Buzz Willis of Vox Pop radio show productions in the 1940s and early 1950s. He is also not the same Winston Earl … Continue reading. Reig would manage the Solitaires through most of their time with Old Town Records.

There are a few solid leads on Willis’s early years, mostly through Doo Wop books and record rereleases; unfortunately, they are not consistent. As a result of a meetup and competition at 142nd Street between Lennox and Seventh Ave., it’s said that the Solitaires came to be with “Lead singer Herman Curtis, who had previously sung lead for the Vocaleers, joined by second tenor Bobby Baylor, first tenor Bobby Williams, and tenor and guitarist Monte Owens, all three former members of the Mellomoods; bass Pat Gaston, formerly of the Four Bells; and baritone Buzzy Willis, who sang with the Crows.” ^[5]Interview with Milton Love, NY May 28th, 2005 – “Setting The Record Straight: The Music And Careers of Recording Artists from the 1950s and Early 1960s in Their Own Words” – … Continue reading. None of the available recordings of the Crows, including “Gee – It’s The Crows,” include Willis as a performer or writer. There is no doubt, though, that Willis could have sung with them ^[6]They All Sang on the Corner: A Second Look at New York City’s Rhythm and Blues Vocal Groups by Philip Groia – Phillie Dec Enterprises, Inc. ISBN 0-9612058-0-6.

Milton Love would join the Solitaires in mid-1955 to replace Herman Curtis, who left to join the Air Force. Love remembered his first professional gig as lead singer of the Solitaires was at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem. The booking was for a week that started on July 8th, 1955, as part of WLIB’s Hal Jackson’s Rhythm & Blues Show.

Love also remembers that “the Solitaires lineup changed regularly – due to military service. Bobby Baylor and Buzzy Willis went into the service, and that’s when Cecil Holmes and Reggie Barnes came into the group. By that time, Pat Gaston was also gone, and Freddie Barksdale was another fixture for the group.” ^[7]“Setting The Record Straight: The Music And Careers of Recording Artists from the 1950s and Early 1960s in Their Own Words” – Anthony P. Musso – ISBN 9780988602717 – … Continue reading

Musso, in his book, notes that “Willis stayed in music and eventually became a record executive and vice president of R&B operations for the Polydor label.” It’s unclear if Milton Love said this, or if Musso confirmed it. It does, though, correlate with many other recollections and confirms that Winston “Buzzy” Willis is the same person as Buzz Willis.

The Solitaires’ first Old Town recording release was the ballad “Wonder Why.” Subsequent releases were “South of the Border” and “Chances I’ve Taken,” the latter a group-composed original tune. An early 1955 release featured the group’s cover version of a 1933 Bing Crosby hit recording, “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance.” Despite receiving significant airplay and the group’s growing popularity among fans of rhythm and blues, the singles failed to reap much success.

Many of the original Solitaires recordings also credit Willis and other band members. While Love would credit Willis for deciding to take the group in a different direction with a new sound and a new name, he disputes the songwriting credits for many of the Solitaires tracks, saying, “I’ve gotten credit for a lot of the songs that I wrote for the Solitaires, but moneywise I’ve got not one penny. The thing that really hurts me is that the biggest song ever released by the Solitaires was ‘Walking Along,’ and I never got the credit for it.”

The 1957 track “Walking Along” did get a lot of exposure but didn’t become a hit until 1959, when it was covered by a white vocal group, the Diamonds. While Love may not have been paid as the sole writer of “Walking Along,” the original Old Town 78 RPM and follow-up 7″ pressing on the yellow Old Town label all include Love-Willis-Bayler-Owens-Gaston.

Whatever the truth about the writing is, the reason Willis got credited is that his name is filed at the US Government copyright office as a writer.

“w & m” on copyright registration means “Words & Music”.

Willis would also function as a booking agent for Gale Booking who at times managed the Solitaires ^[8]Billboard – Sept. 20th, 1975, Pg 22.

One thing is for sure: in Harlem in the fifties, there was a lot of movement between singers in bands, often even whole bands being substituted for other bands. The Solitaires, a doo-wop group that later entered the R&B Hall of Fame, paved the way for a career that combined artistic creativity and business skills.

Marriage

Jet Magazine would report that “Model and beauty contest winner Yvonne Mullings and Solitaires quartet singer Winston (Buzzy) Willis are pricing wedding rings since her parents said OK.” – the piece would include a picture of Miss Mullings ^[9]Jet – August 7th, 1958, Pg 64. “New York model Yvonne Mullings will promise to love, honor, and obey Winston (Buzzy) Willis, troubleshooter for Circle Artists booking agency, on April 12 at the Church of St. Catherine of Genoa ^[10]Jet – April 9th, 1959, Pg 40 ^[11]St. Catherine of Genoa is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 504 West 153rd Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue in the Hamilton Heights … Continue reading.

Variety would confirm that “Yvonne Mullings was married to Pvt. Winston “Buzzie” Willis, New York, April 12. He’s a former member of the Solitaires.” ^[12]Variety – April 15th, 1959, Pg 159. Yvonne is the daughter of Willemay Mullings from South Carolina and Clifford Mullings, also from Jamaica.

MGM and Desafinado

Buzz and Creed’s paths crossed many times, although this is often skipped in deference to his later achievements, which are many. Buzz spent three years as a local promotions manager with MGM Records after his time with the Solitaires.

Willis spent his Army service at Fort Dix, during which he also booked shows. Initially after completing his Army service, Willis with band mate Bobby Baylor went back on tour with the Solitaires ^[13]Cash Box – Feb. 18th, 1961, Pg16. Willis back in New York reached out to the Rifkind brothers, Roy and Julie ^[14]https://www.billboard.com/business/record-labels/roy-rifkind-spring-records-founder-dead-1235023059/. Julie Rifkind had been hired by Arnold Maxin, president of MGM, two years before Maxin poached Creed Taylor for MGM/Verve in April 1961, just after Taylor launched Impulse! ^[15]Creed Taylors path would also cross with the Rifkind’s many times. The Rifkinds formed Gaucho Music and Guardian Productions – The Rifkinds had hired writer-singer-producer Harold Thomas … Continue reading

Buzz Willis’ early career at MGM spanned what were then the typical A&R assistant – in 1961, this lead Willis to help move the Harptones from the Companion label to MGM and produce a 7″/45RPM released on the the CUB label, “Devil In Velvet” and “Your Love Is A Good Love” ^[16]MGM ran a full page advert in the September 2nd, 1961 issue of Cash Box, including both the Harptones release and the Stereos “I Really Love You”. As well as a positive review in an … Continue reading

This wouldn’t have been a stretch for Buzz, as the Harptones were both local and had recorded for a label, Paradise Records, which was manufactured and distributed by Hy Weiss’s Old Town Records at the time ^[17]https://www.discogs.com/label/234230-Paradise-Records-13. It’s also claimed that Paradise was a subsidiary of Old Town ^[18]https://www.uncamarvy.com/Harptones/harptones.html.

One of the earliest pictures I could find of Buzz was in the May 26th, 1962 issue of Cash Box, where he is pictured standing second from the right, with a very young Richard Chamberlain in the center, TV’s Dr. Kildare, for the launch of the “Theme From Dr. Kildare.” The event was held at the iconic, Prohibition-era New York City restaurant and 1920s speakeasy, the “21 Club”.

The caption for the picture described Willis as “Buzz Willis, deejay contact,” along with Lennie Scheer, singles sales manager. Radio station and DJ promotions were vitally important to a record’s success back then and had been Julie Rifkind’s position previously. Rifkind and Willis were the core of a 1962 push into the singles market by MGM through the distributor network for MGM, Verve, Choreo, and Charlie Parker Records ^[19]Billboard – May 12th, 1962, pg 4.

The event was to promote Chamberlin’s vocal for the theme tune for the show, “Three Stars Will Shine Tonight.” The TV show was an MGM-Arena TV Series. Taylor produced a 1962 Stan Getz jazz rendition of the title tune by Goldsmith, Rugolo, and Winn. It was released with a then little-known track as the B-side, “Desafinado,” which had been recorded in February.

Desafinado would take on its own life; the Taylor-produced Getz and Byrd track would rise to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 by December. On September 12th, Taylor would produce the first English-language vocal version with Pat Thomas and the Sammy Lowe orchestra. A dual success, with the Getz Grammy-winning version of Desafinado and Thomas’s Grammy-nominated, Willis would play a key role in their promotion.

The promotion efforts included “local distrib ads in daily classified sections inviting readers to call ‘Dr. Kildare’ at a special number.” When the call is made, Chamberlain’s taped voice answers, followed by 10 seconds of the record. As part of the extended promotion of Chamberlain, Willis was pictured in the October 6th issue of the New Pittsburgh Courier meeting with a journalist. The picture caption noted that Willis had been in town with Chamberlain and summarized Willis’s career to that point, noting that he had been in the position “a year and a half.” ^[20]https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-pittsburgh-courier-winston-buzz-wi/171004049/

In late October, Cash Box noted that Willis was accompanying Pat Thomas. Thomas was Creed Taylor’s new breakout female singer who had just released the first English language version of Desafinado on Verve ^[21]https://www.discogs.com/master/262639-Pat-Thomas-Desafinado-One-Note-Samba. Notable also as the first effort between Taylor and Lalo Schifrin. ^[22]The 7″/45RPM single was released initially on Verve in a picture sleeve on October 6th, and half the notes on the sleeve were about Schifrin. Marty Paich, one of MGM’s West Coast … Continue reading.

Pat Thomas was Grammy-nominated for “Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female” at the 5th Grammys in 1963. The November 3rd edition of Cash Box carried pictures and a brief report as “Making The Jockey Rounds.” Buzz Willis can be seen in two of the pictures, Taylor and Julie Rifkind in a third.

In early 1963, Buzz Willis would come in direct contact with Vic Chirumbolo, now at MGM/Verve, having moved on from “Phono sideline sales” (needle selling) at Warner Bros and Capitol Records. The two men would reunite later at CTI as executives. In July that year, Willis would be pictured in the July 27th, 1963 issue of Cash Box along with a raft of MGM/Verve executives and their distribution partners at a 3-day meeting at the NY Plaza Hotel and Playboy Club.

Willis would describe this period of his career as “living out of a suitcase” ^[23]Billboard – Sept. 20th, 1975, Pg 22.

Return To Roulette and Morris Levy

Willis was with Old Town Records label at the start of his career, when it was acquired by Morris Levy and eventually rolled into the Roulette label. Levy was, of course, also a founding partner of Birdland jazz club ^[24]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Levy. In his first stint with Roulette, Willis would pack and ship records after school ^[25]Billboard – Sept. 20th, 1975, Pg22.

By September 1964, Buzz Willis would move to Roulette to reunite with Morris Levy as Publicity & PR Manager ^[26]Cash Box – September 12th, 1964 Pg36 includes a picture of Willis with Levy. He would get direct sales experience, first local and then national for singles under Bud Ketzel.

Willis decided to go back to school – he also worked part-time for Julie Rifkind at Bert Burns’s Bang Records. Bang had been founded by Bert, Ahmet and brother Neshui (Ertegun) and Gerald (Jerry Wexler) in 1965. BANG – geddit?

Willis would start 1966 at Roulette, getting frequent mentions in Cash Box’s “Record Ramblings,” including work with Joe Cuba Sextet for the TICO sublabel of Roulette.

Willis took the McCoys out on their road trip and helped break “Hang On Sloopy.” He also worked with the Exciters and Freddie Scott; despite being part-time, he did a full-time role. By the end of the year, though, Willis made a regular appearance in “Record Ramblings,” this time talking up the hopes of Darlene Love on Reprise and The Marvellos and Lorraine Ellison, both Warner Bros. artists, as Reprise had been sold to Warner Bros. in 1963.

Willis had also taken on a new Red Foxx album, “Both Sides Of Red Foxx,” for Warner’s R&B-focused Loma label, headed by Bob Krasnow. Willis arrived at Warner Bros. as they reorganized and folded Loma into the parent label; Krasnow left and went back to Kama Sutra as its west coast exec. Krasnow would go on to be a co-founder of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Buddah Records. Krasnow, in 1960, was at King Record, Inc. in New York.

Over at 200 West 57th Street in New York, Mickey Kapp had left his father’s namesake record label, Kapp Records, where Jack Jones, Eartha Kitt, Roger Williams, and Shirley Ellis were all recording, to start his own label, Compass Records. Compass would be a “pop mainstream” label. Kapp, a Stanford University graduate and US Navy School Of Music producer, had worked with Armed Forces Radio Service. Kapp had produced Louis Armstrong’s “Hello Dolly” ^[27]Billboard – December 3rd, Pg3.

Willis would open 1967 as he’d closed 1966, in “Record Ramblings,” as Warner Bros./Reprise man-about-town; Willis was still pushing the Marvellos, and if, like me, you’ve never heard of them, we know how well that went!

A New Compass for Willis

A week later, on January 14th, Willis had become the “promotions chief” for Compass Records, including James Bounty and Tapestry ^[28]Cash Box – January 14th, 1967.

Buzz Willis would say of his time with Compass Mickey Knapp that “he was one of the greatest influences on my career.” – Willis told Robert Adels in a 1975 interview published in Record World ^[29]Record World – September 20th, 1975, Pg22

Kapp “had just started Compass Records, having left Kapp Records-and a secretary and myself were his staff. He gave me the ability to function as a total executive. Although his office was just shouting distance from mine, he had me send him memos on everything. “You have to document everything” was his attitude. Mickey really got my head together administratively.”

“We had some success together: Helena Ferguson’s “Where’s the Party,” and a couple of Ohio Players singles … That was before they made it big!” ^[30]Record World – September 20th, 1975, Pg22.

By May 1967, Willis was being congratulated for the “tremendous amount of play he is getting on “Prove Yourself,” James Bounty on Compass ^[31]Record World – June 10th, 1967, Pg 28. Later that month, Willis was representing Compass at a NARA board meeting at 850 7th Ave. as the board agreed on final preparations for their 1967 meeting in Atlanta.

Buzz Willis and Mickey Kapp were pictured in Cash Box signing Kathy Keegan (who?). The notes also said that Willis had acquired two masters for release: “Where Is The Party” by Helena Ferguson and “(These Days) A Good Girl Is So Hard To Find” by the Adventurers.

Also due soon was Compass’ first comedy record, tentatively set for a September release.

Kapp and Willis were on the road, promoting Compass’ new product and planned to end their tour at the 1967 (listed as 1968) NARA Convention in Atlanta.

Willis would be back in “Record Ramblings” in August. “Helena Ferguson is our East Coast Girl of the Week. Buzz Willis informs us that her Compass recording of “Where Is The Party” is doing extremely well in Atlanta, the Baltimore/Washington area, throughout New Jersey, and in Richmond. It also noted that another Compass act meeting with a good deal of success is the Adventurers; their major markets are Philadelphia, N.J., and Washington/Baltimore.” ^[32]Cash Box – September 9th, 1967, Pg16

Peak “Record Ramblings” came in October when it was noted that “Buzz Willis celebrated his birthday (we’re not about to say which one) by holding a pow wow in A1 & Dicks. The Compass man was surrounded by such record biz notables as Otis Smith, Dave Carrico, Bobby Layne, and Dick Corby, in addition to several unidentified Cash Box staffers.”

In November, Willis was still pushing the same roster, including James Bounty’s “Actions Speak Louder Than Words” and Helena Ferguson, Kathy Keegan, but the label wasn’t having the success it needed.

As noted, Willis bought in masters by the Ohio Players, another by Johnny Brantley – the only track to break the Top 100 was “Where Is The Party” by Helen Ferguson. Increasingly, not at Compass it would seem. Willis would continue pushing the acts into 1968, especially the Ohio Players.

Compass wouldn’t finally fall until 1969, by which time Mickey Kapp had been appointed an east coast chapter trustee for NARAS and director of business affairs for Capitol Records. Meanwhile, future CTI man Chirumbolo had been appointed east coast sales executive for Kapp Records, Mickey Kapp’s father’s label ^[33]Billboard – January 11th, 1969, Pg 4.

The Main Ingredient

Willis continued to work independently. It was in this role that he, in fact, got his ex-school pals signed to RCA in 1967. First as “The Insiders,” they released two 7″/45RPM discs, neither of which went anywhere in particular ^[34]https://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/mainingredient.htm^[35]https://www.discogs.com/artist/2032671-The-Insiders-4. “If You Had A Heart” – The Insiders – RCA Victor 9325 – reviewed in Cash Box, September 23rd, 1967 – which was almost a year before Willis was hired to run the RCA R&B business.

Once Willis was signed to RCA, the same group members, “Tony” Silvester, Luther Simmons Jr., and Donald McPherson would again record for RCA, this time as “The Main Ingredient” – a name apparently inspired by the ingredients on a bottle of Coca-Cola ^[36]“A Touch Of Class: Soul Singers of the Early 1970s” – Marc Taylor, Aloiv Publishing Co. Jamaica, NY”. In 1971, tragedy struck when Donald McPherson was diagnosed with and ultimately died from leukemia. Cuba Gooding (Sr.) would step into his place.

Willis got production supervision credits on many of their tracks ^[37]“The Main Ingredient: A Quiet Storm” RCA 07863 66860-2 CD Liner notes – Mar Marymont^[38]L.T.D. by The Main Ingredient RCA Victor (LSP-4253^[39]Natchez News Leader Jan 30, 1972.

Gooding recalled that RCA wanted to break up the group after the loss of McPherson, but the success of “Everybody Plays The Fool” kept them on the road and in demand. Gooding, though, is quoted, perhaps out of context, as saying, “Buzz Willis, who is black, was in a token situation at that time as vice-president. These people at RCA were lawyers, CPAs, and Harvard graduates. They only knew the business of business and not music.” ^[40]“A Touch Of Class: Soul Singers of the Early 1970s” – Marc Taylor, Aloiv Publishing Co. Jamaica, NY”

Willis, though, would continue to push through and establish himself.

Radio Corporation of America

In August 1968, RCA Records announced they would be pushing into the R&B market, and the effort would be headed by Buzzy Willis. Willis had been appointed to the new post of manager of new product development. He would handle both A&R and marketing. As well as noting his position on the executive board of NARA, it was noted that Willis also served as a non-salaried consultant for the Community Relations Division of the Department of Justice ^[41]Billboard – August 10th, 1968, Pg66 ^[42]Cash Box – August 10th, 1968 Pg9.

In 1968, a year when 8-track sales had taken off, Buzz Willis would attend the annual NARM conference for RCA. 1969 would be a year of consolidation for RCA and getting established for Willis. His first major signing would be Carolyn Franklin, sister of, and writer for Aretha Franklin. Willis would sign Carolyn Franklin to an exclusive recording contract with RCA. Other early successes would include “Friends of Distinction, and Jimmy Castor Bunch.

Willis would spend much of his first year working with, and producing Carolyn Franklin. At the time of signing, Carolyn was 22 and the youngest member of the Franklin family. The same photograph and similar press release text appeared also in Cash Box and Billboard at the time. Pictured above listening to a playback are Willis and Franklin in the April 12th issue of Billboard. Willis was quoted the following week “”We’re in the r&b business for real,” says Buzz Willis, whose RCA soul line has finally grown wings with the Friends of Distinction, Carolyn Franklin, Sonny Till and Jimmy Radcliffe. Watch out for Carolyn Franklin’s opening LP, “Baby Dynamite,” set for the end of April” ^[43]Billboard – April 19th, 1969.

In August 1968, Willis was the subject of a feature across two pages entitled: “Buzz Willis: Involvement Key Word At RCA”. As well as looking at his work and schedule, it discussed Willis’ work with artists and development including the Main Ingredient, the Swordsmen, Jimmy Radcliffe, Sonny Til, Willie Hutch, Milt Matthews and the Wilson Brothers ^[44]Record World – August 16th, 1969 Pg64-Pg66.

Later the same month, Willis would be pictured in a full page spread of pictures from August at the Washington DC Hilton Hotel in August. In the picture with Willis were Jim Gates of KATZ, St. Louis, Worthy Patterson of Dot Records, center; Jerry Wagner of RCA Records, Atlanta; and Bill Gross of RCA Records. Wagner would join CTI Records in May of 1976 as vice president of marketing, effectively filling the gap left by Willis. In March 1978, Creed Taylor appoint Wagner as President of CTI Records in the final stages of lawsuit with Motown Records ^[45]Cash Box – March 11th, 1978 Pg10 – Underneath Wagner’s appointment announcement was an article headed “Benson Weekend Gold” noting that George Benson’s third album … Continue reading

In the St Louis American, February 19th, 1970 – Buzz got a random mention in the “Bill Lane From Hollywood” column. After detailing why Sly and the Family Stone missed dates due to illness; and how Scoey Mitchell was doing well after dropping his TV role and switching to films, Lane reported “NBC-TV sent its black reporter (KNBC) Warren Wilson, news writer Bob Lucas and production assistant Jim Hunter to Columbia University to attend a TV Seminar in news filming. And Buzz Willis is doing what execs say is a big, big job heading up the manpower and development division of RCA-Victor. He has travel each month, coast to coast.”

May saw RCA and Willis sign Harvey Fuqua to an “Indie Deal.” Fuqua had just put a group, New Birth, together from five different working acts. Fuqua had spent the previous five years as executive director for artist development at Motown Records. New Birth is made up of eight musicians known as The Nite-Lighters: four female singers, The Mint Juleps; four male singers, The Now Sound; and one male singer, Alan Frye.

New Birth would release their first single “It’s You Or No One” in May, accompanied by a full press release and picture. The picture was covered in all the business mags, but Record World went one step further, putting Willis on its cover.

For context, New Birth was a significant play in the R&B market. At the same time, RCA had rights to the Broadway production of Hair, which was one of the hottest music and performance properties at the time. Friends of Distinction had a top-10 hit for RCA, and Willis saw New Birth as an opportunity to grow their presence. Willis told Record World, “My job has been to make RCA believable to the public and our peers in the industry as an R&B label. You must remember that RCA had been in the R&B field with great artists years ago—Fats Waller, Leadbelly. I just had to start out again” ^[46]Record World – May 2nd, 1969.

At the June 1970 Record and Radio Conference at Caesar’s Palace, Willis represented RCA. Other senior industry executives in attendance included Jerry Wexler, Ahmet Ertegun, and Tom Dowd from Atlantic; Julie Rifkind; Stax co-founder Jim Stewart; Neil Bogart from Buddah; Clive Davis from CBS, and many other label executives—also present were major metro radio station execs.

By August, Willis had taken over the Exciters, whom he’d previously worked with at Roulette. Of note from their Caviar And Chitlins album for RCA, several of the tracks had been arranged by George “Teacho” Wiltshire. Wiltshire also worked on fellow Detroiter Tamiko Jones’s A&M/CTI album for Creed Taylor. Sadly, Wiltshire, just 59, died on September 29th, 1968, in New York City, not long after completing an assignment for Dizzy Gillespie’s group ^[47]Downbeat – November 14th, 1968 Pg13.

Jon Lucien and the RCA Exit

RCA would continue to tinker and refine its organization during 1970. Willis’ R&B wing also did deals with Stroud Productions, which at that time included Nina Simone ^[48]Cash Box – June 27th, 1970, Pg 45. Willis would sign and supervise Jon Lucien’s debut album for RCA, “I Am Now.” Lucien would record a second RCA album in 1973, “Rashida”; Willis would get credits on both albums.

The first album, “I Am Now,” wasn’t without controversy. Willis and RCA limited Lucien to recording a series of jazz and pop standards. Lucien would, decades later, say “the record company was attempting to package me as a sort of ‘Black Sinatra’.” Sales of the album were poor, and Lucien said he was dropped by RCA.

Over the next two years, Lucien continued to tour and develop his self-written material. Lucien said, “a DJ in New York City started playing ‘I Am Now’ so often that Buzz Willis from RCA hunted for Lucien, brought him back to the label, and released his second album, ‘Rashida,’ in 1973, with some classic cuts.” ^[49]Express-Times, The (Easton, PA) – June 13th, 2003 – Author/Byline: JERRY DUCKETT. Prior to that, Willis and RCA would re-issue the first album in August of 1972 to critical acclaim ^[50]Record World – August 19th, 1972 Pg 54.

Herbie Hancock dubbed Lucien as the premier crooner of the fusion era. Three years in the making, his 1973 follow-up album “Rashida” consisted solely of Lucien-penned titles. Beautifully sung, the album featured the cream of New York’s studio musicians that were NOT recording with Taylor.

The orchestra was arranged and conducted by Dave Grusin, who would receive a Grammy nomination for the album, recorded at RCA Studio D in New York City, engineered by Jim County and Tom Brown Jr. The basic group included a young Noel Pointer on violin; Garnett Brown and Bill Watrous on trombones; Pepper Adams on baritone sax. Promotion for the album was handled by Andre Perry, manager, product merchandising; Tom Cossie, manager, national album promotion; and Tom Draper, manager, national R&B promotion, RCA Records.

Another Willis success at RCA had been the Jimmy Castor Bunch, Billboard September 2nd, 1972 carried the following:

Hendrix Death

For all the things Buzz Willis did while at RCA, the one that likely put his name in front of the public more than any other was the death of Jimi Hendrix. Readers of ctproduced.com will have read articles I’ve written before that include Mary Campbell, a longtime Associated Press music reporter. I have a full piece by Mary posted on Creed Taylor’s birthday in 2025.

In this case, Campbell was writing about the death of Jimi Hendrix, aged just 27. The article appeared in Campbell’s syndicated column; at least 164 newspapers carried some version of it, some the complete copy, others an edited down version.

Buzz Willis, general manager for rhythm and blues music, RCA Victor Records, who is black, says: “I look upon Jimi as the black individual who opened a lot of doors. He made blacks believable in rock. The people around him, like drummer Buddy Miles, got a chance to be heard because he was such a giant.

“Sly and the Family Stone are both rhythm and blues artists and big rock artists. Jimi was a big rock artist only, the first black one there was and the biggest black rock artist there was.

“Now that he is dead, the doors are open and the contribution made, and the doors won’t shut again. There are other black artists waiting in the wings to play rock. Maybe there wont be anyone of his magnitude. You know, Jimi and Eric Clapton, who was more into the blues, were considered the best rock guitarists there were.”

‘Nobody Is the Same Afterwards’ – Mary Campbell, Associated Press – October 1970.

Wilson Pickett was poached from Atlantic at the peak of his success; part of the draw to RCA was Buzz Willis. Prominent in NARA, a member of the Harlem Professional League, and various commercial and political contacts, Pickett was encouraged to sign for a much bigger fee, rumored to be $1-million plus a substantial per album amount. Pickett would later regret this decision, although it is not clear how much involvement Willis would have had. By the time Pickett’s first RCA album was ready, an album more focused on crossover than Soul, seemingly at the crest of his success at RCA, “Buzzy Willis,” it was noted in the August 23rd, 1973 edition of Jet Magazine that “quit RCA Records after six years where he was most recently director of their R&B division and joined Polydor Records as vice president of R & B and special projects.” ^[51]Jet Magazine – August 23rd, 1973 Pg57.

Polydor and Politics

Willis moved to Polydor ^[52]Initially a joint venture in 1972 between two European giants, Philips and Siemens, that brought together various record companies, including Polydor. In 1988, Philips gained full control of PolyGram … Continue reading In mid-1973 as Vice President R&B Operations and Special Projects. Billboard noted he served as a non-salaried consultant to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH and is the entertainment coordinator for the Congressional Black Caucus ^[53]Billboard – August 11th, 1973, Pg 4. In a “same or similar” announcement in Cash Box, it was noted that “Willis, born and raised in New York’s Harlem, is (also) a board member of the Harlem Professional League” ^[54]Cash Box – August 13th, 1973, Pg 10.

The Cash Box article included this picture. It was also carried by Record World, which published a “same or similar” report. Notably, Jerry Schoenbaum, President of Polydor Inc., heralded the return of Buzzy—saying “Buzzy has established himself as an important figure in the music business. We look forward to his continuing success here.”

Dede Dabney’s long-running “Soul Truth” column in Record World was one of the main places to find out what was going on in the R&B world. Increasingly, Dabney also covered NARA/NATRA. Her column in the August 25th, 1973 issue included this picture of Buzz Willis with Polydor President Jerry Schoenbaum. The event was for NFL star-turned-actor Jim Brown and James Brown’s film and soundtrack “Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off.”

Although Willis wouldn’t have been involved in the recording and production of the soundtrack album, future CTI/Kudu in-house arranger, David Matthews, was. Matthews is credited with working on three tracks, “Transmograpfication,” which is classic Fred Wesley, on which Matthews is credited as co-writer and arranger; he also did arrangements for “Sexy, Sexy, Sexy” and “To My Brother.” Harvey Weinger’s 1992 CD re-issue notes confirm Matthews’ involvement, writing, “Also conducting sessions was arranger-songwriter Dave Matthews, then on his way out of Brown’s inner circle to become a staff arranger at jazz label CTI Records.” – “Sexy, Sexy, Sexy” would reach #6 on the R&B chart and #50 on the pop chart ^[55]https://www.discogs.com/release/731015-James-Brown-Slaughters-Big-Rip-Off.

At the August sales convention for industry behemoth, United Artists distribution arm United Distribution Corporation, now simply UDC, Willis would be pictured again with Polydor President Schoenbaum, but also separately reuniting with Roy and Julie Rifkind, now with Spring Records. ^[56]Record World – September 8th, 1973 Pg20 ^[57]UDC had evolved from the United Artists/Liberty merger in 1968. By 1971, UDC was handling the early CTI releases ^[58]Record World – March 6th, 1971 Pg62.

Creed Taylor International

Buzz Willis’ brief sojourn at CTI came at a time when CTI was trying to break free from Motown and leaning more on their KUDU artist roster. It was announced in December 1974 that Creed Taylor, president of CTI Records, had appointed Buzz Willis to the position of vice president and director of operations. At the same time, CTI was promoting Peter Paul, who had been the lynchpin of the CTI All-Stars concerts, to vice president in charge of business affairs and A&R.

Buzz Willis would report directly to Creed Taylor. In the announcement, Taylor highlighted Willis’ impressive industry track record and leadership since starting as a consultant with CTI in September 1974. Ironically, looking back to 1970, just as Creed was launching CTI, Buzz was going through his first re-org at RCA. They appeared on the same page of Billboard ^[59]Billboard February 28th, Pg3.

Willis would be in charge of all operations of the CTI and Kudu labels, with an emphasis on merchandising programs, national advertising, sales, and promotion. He will also act as a direct liaison between CTI Records and the company’s distributor, Motown Records. Willis will report directly to Creed Taylor (Record World – December 21st, 1974 Pg4, Pg51).

At the time of the announcement, CTI was expanding and getting ready to re-gear for changing music styles. CTI had just released another Lou Christie 7″/45RPM on Three Brothers, produced by Tony Romeo.

George Benson’s “Bad Benson” album was picking up plays and reviews and was #6 in the Jazz album chart; Bob James’ “One” was #8 in the Jazz album chart; Stanley Turrentine, a CTI departee, was #1 in the Jazz album chart with his CTI compilation.

The picture above, Creed, Grover, and Buzz, came from Record World – August 2nd, 1975, Pg 16.

Freddie Hubbard had left, but the “Baddest Hubbard” compilation, distributed by Motown, was in the album charts and #24 in the Jazz album chart.

Back in the chart business through a number of club and dance music tracks, but also when Creed himself was under pressure from various directions for his business. Hubert Laws’ “The Chicago Theme (Love Loop)” was #96 in the singles chart and #74 in the album chart. Esther Phillips’ “What A Difference A Day Makes” was at #43 in the singles chart, #52 in the album chart, and #13 in the disco file top-20; “Mister Magic” – Grover Washington Jr.’s album was slipping down the chart, sitting at #84.

At year end 1974, Buzz Willis was pictured and reported to have been in Hollywood for a promotional event for an Italian Group PFM, organized by thei0r label Manticore Records. As noted this was a key period for CTI with Motown distributing CTI Records as well as law suit between the two labels. Here Willis is with both George Schiffer and Ewart Abner, president of Motown. Both were involved in the lawsuit.

Manticore Records was both a label, distributed by Island Records and the production company for Emerson Lake & Palmer. Motown would take over distribution of Manticore and the album “Cook” which this promotional event was set-up for. The Motown Manticore deal ended in 1977, when distribution was taken over by Warner/Elektra/Asylum (WEA).

“NO SPAGHETTI FARMERS THESE” – Italy’s premier rock group PFM and Manticore Records recently threw an Italian-style dinner party for over 150 music, radio, and press execs at Hollywood’s famed restaurant ‘Lost On Larrabee.’

The dinner, which was cooked and prepared by members of PFM, was held in tribute to Manticore and Motown people who contributed to PFM’s recently completed and very successful U.S. tour.

Pictured (left to right) Buzz Willis, VP & Dir. of Operations – CTI Records; George Schiffer, Motown Exec.; Ewart Abner, President Motown Record Corp.; Herb Belkin, VP Creative Services, Motown; Alex King, Director, Manticore Mgmt.; Mario Medius, General Mgr., Manticore Records; and Miller London, Motown National Singles Sales Mgr.

Throughout 1975, Willis would be active for CTI in promotions, including attending the annual NATRA conference in Baltimore in September. As well as the interview above, Record World August 16th, 1975 Pg 44 would run an extensive double column CTI promotional piece, liberally sprinkled with Willis quotes. This would include mention of one of the CTI lessor known offerings, George Benson’s “Supership”. It was noted that it was:

“getting unusual attention” and that it was “his first vocal effort for CTI. ” ‘Supership’ has been getting a lot of airplay in recent weeks,” Willis commented. “We look at it as a product that may take more time to be accepted since Benson is primarily known as a jazz guitarist.”

Record World – August 16th, 1975 Pg44

It is worth noting that Benson’s “Breezin” album that shot him into the stratosphere of stardom, partly because of his singing, was not recorded until January the following year and released in April 1976. In an in-depth piece on Willis, Robert Adels asked Willis how he’d met Creed.

Willis told Adels, “It was at MGM that I first met Creed Taylor. He had come back from a session with Jimmy Smith and played it for me one night, asking for my opinion. I liked one cut in particular, so I ran with it: ‘Walk On The Wild Side, Parts I and II.’ And the rest is history. Of course, after that at Verve, Creed did ‘Theme from Mondo Cane’ and ‘Desafinado.’ And I was very instrumental in breaking them into the black market. So those were our first mutual experiences together.” ^[60]Record World – September 20th, 1975 Pg 22

In the same issue of Record World, page 24 carried an item headed “CTI Blitzes N.Y.” – Six CTI Records acts will appear in New York between September 20 and October 6. Esther Phillips and Hubert Laws will be part of a “One Nite Affair” concert at the Felt Forum Sept. 20; Grover Washington, Jr. will headline the Bottom Line Sept. 23-28; Joe Beck will appear at the Other End beginning Sept. 22; and Ron Carter and Roland Hanna will be back-to-back at the Village Vanguard Sept. 25-28 and Sept. 30 to Oct. 5, respectively.

The rest of Adels’ interview with Buzz Willis is reproduced here as follows.

RW: How did you go from RCA to CTI?
Willis: I left RCA to head up the black music division for Polydor, then did some consulting work for both the government and the record business and soon received feelers from a number of other companies. CTI was one of them. Creed and I started talking. And here I am .. .
RW: What is CTI’s exact relationship with Motown?
Willis: It is a distribution deal for the U.S.
RW: Why do you think Creed, and hence CTI, has such a positive image within the industry as well as with the public?
Willis: He sees things first, he’s on top of trends, adding whatever the new elements are to keep jazz relevant to today. He’s done it with r&b influences, and now the whole disco thing. If they come up with something Chinese next week, there’ll be some music on CTI that will relate to it.
RW: Is there a basic “CTI sound” into which outside elements can be integrated? What and to whom does it appeal?
Willis: Yes, Creed has definitely developed something you could- and the people do-call “the CTI sound.” It appeals to the purist, the new lover of jazz, college kids. One of the distinctions this label enjoys is that we know from retailers that consumers come in and ask “What’s new on CTI?” not just “Do you have the new Esther, Grover, or Hubert?” That’s perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to a company by the public.

RW: You just used that word, “jazz.” How does the company feel about it?
Willis: Jazz is a viable idiom-and so is the word. I don’t think a word will turn people off if the music behind it makes it. CTI is definitely in the jazz business, and we proudly think of ourselves as one of the top jazz labels in the world insofar as acceptance is concerned, and building that awareness which other companies have capitalized on.
Willis: We have our own branch operation in Canada, and are licensed throughout the rest of the world with John Nathan representing us in that regard. Each country tends to develop its own market. While Grover Washington may sell the most albums here, Ron Carter is the superstar in Japan. He’s a household word there.
RW: As far as the U.S. is concerned, what constitutes “the jazz community?” It’s a phrase that is not uncommonly used without
further explanation.
Willis: Fans who have not wavered in their acceptance of the music, the perennial record buyers, those who use to support a wider variety of small clubs and who, because of economics today, just can’t. But that community still exists, and it will always be important to us.
RW: How extensive is the CTI staff?
Willis: It’s an effective, close-knit family. Everybody does more than one job, because that’s the way things really get done in this business. Simo Doe is national sales and promotion coordinator; Kris Slocum is national FM coordinator, both working with Bunky
Sheppard, Stan Lewerke and Paul Johnson at Motown. Didier Deutsch is director of press information; Norman Klein is controller. Betsy Palumbo is Creed’s right hand and assistant, and Peter Paul is vice president of business and talent affairs. Richard Mantel is our art director.
RW: I think the industry would like to know how you came to be known as Buzz.
Willis: My real name is Winston: my parentage is Jamaican, and the English were the major foreign interests there. My aunt thought
it was the most honorable first name in the world, because of Churchill … But while I played basketball in college, my being one of the smaller guards prompted sportswriter Zander Hollander, who wrote for the Journal American, to note that I would “buzz around the court like a bee.” That coupled with the popularity of the “Buzzy” comic strip at that time gave me this name that I’ve been using ever since. Do I think it’s dignified enough? Well, there’s a Supreme Court judge, Byron R. White, nicknamed “Whizzer” and they call him “Wiz.”

With jazz you don’t run into the Top 40 problem, with limitations on your exposure. You don’t run into the rock album problem of excessive studio costs. We are thus able to deal in music that is individualistic, and take each piece of product as a unique piece of music.

Willis first appearance in the 1976 music press hinted at trouble ahead for Buzz. The March 20th issue of Billboard reported in it’s “Executive Turntable” column that “Richie Salvador of the sales department and Buzz Willis of the promotion area have left CTI.” ^[61]Billboard – March 20th, 1976 – Pg4.

At the time this wouldn’t have been a surprise, rumors about the financial stability of CTI with the ongoing lawsuits, the obvious departure of George Benson, despite an ongoing contract dispute. March 27th though would see Billboard back peddle, although this time in the “Inside Track” section of the “Late General News” – “It was incorrectly reported here last week that Buzz Willis has exited CTI Records. He remains involved with the label’s promotional activities.” ^[62]Billboard – March 27th, 1976 Pg114

It went further than that in Record World though, longtime NARA/NATRA attendee Dede Dabney wrote in her column “Soul Truth” – “CTI vice president in charge of sales Buzzy Willis has allegedly been relieved of his duties but will remain until the end of the month. Willis was not available for comment.” ^[63]Record World – March 27th, 1976 Pg90.

There would only be one other mention of Buzz Willis until the end of the year, that came in July. Billboard and Record World noted in same or similar text that “The fourth annual luncheon of the RCA Record Alumni Club drew a large crowd, including Hugo and Luigi, Buzz Willis, Harry Jenkins, Ben Rosner and Dick Broderick among others….”

In the December 25th edition of Record World in her end of year “Soul Truth” wrap-up, Dede Dabney repeated that in March “It was then rumored that Buzzy Willis was relieved of his duties as vice president in charge of sales at CTI Records.”

And that was that, it would be another two years until Creed Taylor International would enter bankruptcy, Willis’ name would not be associated with them again. Simo Doe, discussed earlier would go on to become “press and information for special markets” at Atlantic Records.

Kool And Beyond

Twenty years on from his start in the music industry, and almost 30 years on from his time as a stoop singer in Harlem, Willis’ time with Kool and the Gang is probably the better-known part of Willis’ career. This is mostly through Kool’s continued success and the associated publicity, as well as, obviously, the age of those in and around the band.

I think the most interesting thing I learned from researching this part of Buzz Willis’ career was that Eumir Deodato had come on board to produce. This would be some 20 years after he first appeared on the Creed Taylor-produced Astrud Gilberto album for Verve, “Beach Samba” ^[64]https://www.discogs.com/master/111015-Astrud-Gilberto-Beach-Samba.

It’s not my intention to recount the band’s success here, but instead include some notable and interesting Willis notes. Perhaps the most significant of which was driven by the 15th anniversary of their then-label, De-Lite. The October 10th, 1982 issue of Billboard magazine carried a 32-page celebration, full-color supplement focused on the label and Kool & The Gang as well as other artists. Included in the supplement was this full-page advert.

The supplement carried an advertorial interview entitled “Quintet Associates: Pinning the Super on the Star.” It is reproduced in full here; it’s obviously what Buzz and his team wanted people to know at the time. It is reproduced from the supplement as faithfully as possible.

Quintet Associates: Pinning The Super On The Star

Few entertainment industry executives earn the high marks enjoyed by Buzz Willis. As Chief Executive Officer for the group’s Quintet Associates Ltd. and head of his own Global Entertainment Corporation, Buzz Willis has transformed Kool & the Gang into a respected jazz-R&B band and one of the most potent forces in contemporary music today. Each of the group’s last three albums has achieved platinum award status, and even in the current economically depressed U.S. concert market, Kool & the Gang is building consistently increased grosses at the box office.

Born in New York City, Buzz Willis attended the city’s school system before going on to Western Reserve University in Ohio. It was during those school years that Willis earned the nickname “Buzz” as a basketball player who compensated for his lack of great height by “buzzing” around the courts.

Buzz Willis got started in the music business at an early age—first as a stockboy for Royal Roost Records and later as a singer and founder of Old Town recording artists the Solitaires. But it was during the Ohio college years that Buzz started really learning about the business, acting as a field representative for Gale Booking Agency, at that time one of the two biggest black agencies in the industry. Willis’ duties sent him all over Ohio covering the agency’s tour dates.

Later, after Army years that found Willis based at Ft. Dix, N.J., an old friend, Julie Rifkin, hired the young music man as local promotional representative for MGM Records in New York. Buzz is given credit for breaking David Rose’s “The Stripper,” among other national hits, during his time at MGM.

At the beginning of the ’70s, RCA called on Willis to set up the company’s first black division. He was named vice president of the giant firm and even acted as a consultant to RCA’s NBC-TV division.

Says Willis: “I met Kool in 1978 and was impressed from the start. Shortly after that meeting, I was offered a major position with a big record company, but I thought about it and decided to take on Kool & the Gang’s management instead.” At the time, Kool & the Gang’s market position was certainly not among the top in the industry.

Buzz Willis worked closely with the band, and their situation changed quickly. A new lead singer, James “J.T.” Taylor, was brought into the picture. Kool & the Gang went to an outside producer, Eumir Deodato. Both the band’s recording style and stage productions were changed dramatically.

The results came fast. The group’s first single and album under Buzz Willis’ management, both titled “Ladies’ Night,” achieved platinum status. Increased touring power followed immediately. On the heels of their “Ladies’ Night” success, Kool & the Gang went back into the studio and produced another smash album, “Celebrate!” The record produced the band’s immensely successful single, “Celebration.” And suddenly Kool & the Gang had reached the point of platinum-plus award status.

Buzz Willis comments: “It certainly isn’t just because of me. It’s because of the mix between the band and me that things started moving so fast.” The RIAA certifiers have been kept busy, awarding the band’s “Something Special” album still another platinum record. Additionally, “Something Special” spawned two single hits, “Take My Heart” and “Get Down On It.”

Today, Buzz Willis heads a growing organization that includes divisions charged with administration, new talent, touring, and merchandising. Kool & the Gang has moved its market position from black-only to crossover and beyond. “Now,” Buzz says with justifiable pride, “Kool & the Gang is America!” The group’s live show features one of the most intricate stage presentations of any superstar-class act. The merchandising division is racking in sales on high-quality items ranging from baseball shirts to concert books.

How does Buzz Willis see the industry? Asked recently how the task of building the careers of black artists has changed over his years in the industry, Buzz’s answer comes straight. “Unfortunately, there has been very little change at all. You still have to prove yourself over and over and over again. Just at that moment you think you’ve really got something established, someone comes along and suddenly you have to start proving yourself all over again. I truly wish the situation was different—that it had changed over the years—but things have not really progressed much for black artists since I first entered the business.”

Barbara Hernandez, who has been working for Quintet for two and a half years as Willis’ assistant, handles all office operations. She started as a temporary just as “Ladies’ Night” roared up the charts and has been an integral part of Quintet’s operation ever since. Aside from her duties with Quintet, Hernandez is also a fine singer who has worked with Machine, Express, and Denroy Morgan. David Sanchez, Hernandez’s assistant, is also a singer. His is the lead voice on the popular dance club single, “Word Up.”

Jack Reiley is handling public relations for Kool & the Gang. From 1970-75, he worked with the Beach Boys in a public relations-management capacity. For several years, he ran his own Chantry Communications firm. “Yes, Kool & the Gang is America,” says Reiley. “Our sales and concert grosses show that despite the recession their combination of music and showmanship really works.”

Industry Associations – NARA, NATRA and FORE

In almost every position and company Willis worked for, he was involved in one or more industry associations. Early in his career he was a “deejay contact” – this led to him attending NARA (National Association of Radio Announcers) an organization originally formed in 1955 as a support and lobbying group for black and African American deejays, formed originally in Harlem. Naturally Buzz Willis would therefore get involved. Overtime, NARA would evolve into NATRA (National Association of Television and Radio Announcers), playing a significant role in their conventions and discussions on industry challenges.

• At the 1973 NATRA Convention: Willis chaired a session titled “Management of Music Business,” which was reported in Billboard. The convention addressed issues like payola and featured speeches from Stan Scott, special assistant to President Nixon, and Rev. Jesse Jackson. Willis’ leadership helped bridge the gap between NATRA and FORE (Fraternity of Record Executives), fostering collaboration between the two organizations.
• Annual Black Congressional Caucus Dinners: Apart from his work with NARA/NATRA, Willis attended receptions and meetings promoting the Black Congressional Caucus, including their annual dinners. He directed entertainment featuring Don Cornelius (Soul Train host), Isaac Hayes, The Dells, and Melba Moore.

Buzz Willis would be pictured and hold a number of roles in both NARA and NATRA. While researching that, it became so interesting and included so much detail that I have created a separate post with it’s own timeline etc. Many pictures have been left in that document, but here is a picture of Buzz

With the expansion of the music business, and the money in it, organization became critical as a mechanism to either control or benefit from it. While NARA/NATRA continued to bring DJs and record labels together, it became subject to infighting and fragmentation over time. As the industry increased in size and complexity, it was also leaving significant communities like writers, publishers, and artists out, despite the continued inclusion of its annual awards.

FORE

It’s not clear if this was part of the reason, as stated, the Black American executives felt they could do more. FORE, though, started to come together in 1969, while Willis was still with RCA. An article in the August 30th edition of Billboard headed “FORE Reelects Lanier” noted that Walter Lanier, national sales manager for Venture Records and interim national chair since its formation six months ago, had been reelected to head the organization for another two years. ^[65]Billboard – August 30th, 1969 Pg3.

FORE started as an affiliate of the National Association Of Television and Radio Announcers (NATRA) and was established at the recent (1969) NATRA convention held at the Washington DC Hilton Hotel. As well as Lanier as chair, the board included
chairman; Juggy Murray, vice-chairman; Logan Westboro, recording secretary; Cynthia Bailey, corresponding secretary; Boo Frazier, treasurer; and Andre Montell, financial secretary. The board of directors comprised Ronnie Granger, Dave Clark, Milton (Butterball) Smith, Sidney Miller, Ronnie Mosely, Richard Simpson, Madelyn Baker, Akai Aleong and Buzzy Willis.

Announced in July 1970, FORE had decided to meet separately from NATRA. They would meet October 28th – November 1st at the Eden Roc Hotel Miami. Working on the schedule were Buzzy Willis and Akai Aleong. At a recent board meeting WIllis and Aleong were voted program chairmen ^[66]BIllboard – July 25th, 1970 Pg4 – same or similar was also reported in Record World. In 1971, Willis would be elected to the board, and Aleong would be elected chair.

In November 1972, Willis was a moderator and panelist at an industry meeting to understand the “black music market.” The meeting was held by B’Nai B’Rith Music and Performing Arts lodge at the Warwick Room of the Warwick Hotel in NYC ^[67]Cash Box – November 25th, Pg 7 – Record World October 28th reported same or similar. The lodge frequently dealt with important music-related topics as many of its Jewish members were key in the retail industry, including at that time Dave Rothfeld, buyer for the then massive Korvettes discount department store chain, which sold tens of millions of dollars’ worth of records every year ^[68]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._J._Korvette. Rothfeld was at that time president of the lodge.

FORE would continue through 1978, and during Willis time at CTI Records, the organization would introduce it’s PACE (Providing Avenues For Continuing Encouragement) awards in 1971. Awards also provided cash to high school graduates with music career and achievements. The awards were the idea of former Staple Singers member, Pervis Staples.

A Billboard report in December 1975 described the organization as “struggling” but continued hosting events and a luncheon to raise funds for the annual awards including the student recognition that chapter president Jim Tyrell said “was created to give spiritual and financial assistance to a student of merit who plans a career in the music industry or a related field.” This year’s mentor is Vicki Wickham, artist manager. The luncheon was held at the Essex House ^[69]Tyrell was vice president of national sales and merchandising for Epic Records and the CBS Custom Labels and gave a wide ranging interview to Record World July 5th, 1975 Pg12 – He said of his … Continue reading

In 1977, FORE joined Musexpo ’77 to showcase the impact of black music at the Doral Hotel in Miami Beach, October 28th-November 1st, 1977. Musexpo was setup as a serious competitor to the incumbent MIDEM ^[70]Music Week – October 22nd Pg23^[71]Reporting on Musexpo was carried in Record World September 17th, Record World October 15th.

There was though no further mention of Willis in relation to FORE. I suspect this was nothing more than as Jim Tyrell noted in his 1975 interview “It takes a lot of time and dedication, and takes quite a bit away from your private life.”

Apart from NARA/NATRA/NARM/NARAS & FORE, Willis would also attend receptions and working meetings to promote the Black Congressional Caucus, including their Annual Dinners – the third of which was held at the Washington Hilton Hotel and included New York Mayor John Lindsey, Nipsy Russell, Melba Moore, Baby Sanchez ^[72]whose husband was Sammy Davis Jr. and others. The dinner was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson – Buzz Willis would direct Soul Train host Don Cornelius, Isaac Hayes, The Dells and Melba Moore ^[73]Cash Box – September 22, 1973, Pg32

Perhaps Willis most important association though was the 1978 announcements of the Black Music Association. Launched in a a full page advertisement in October 1978, led by co-founders Kenneth (Kenny) Gamble and Ed Windsor Wright from the ashes of NATRA, the Black Music Association work work to create Black Music Month ^[74]A double page advert carried in both Cash Box – October 7th, 1978, Record World October 7th, 1978, Billboard October 7th, 1978.

[Place holder: I have removed a very long piece on the chronology of NARA/NATRA/BMA from this post and will edit and publish it in time for African American Month 2025]

In the announcement was an Advisory Board, a Board Of Directors, an Executive Council (which included Nick Ashford, Roberta Flack, Leon Huff, Van McCoy(a prior PACE award winner) and Buzz Willis), and BMA Standing Project Committees.

And In Other News

1982: Melvin Odoms, a former college track star, had been shot by a New Jersey policeman, with a bullet lodged in his body, Odoms was permanently disabled ^[75]https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jersey-journal-two-in-intensive-care/171735303/. He was awarded $462,500 at a trial in 1980. Odoms worked for Kool & The Gang as a driver and on errands and with the Kay Gees. Odoms helped the band Tomorrow’s Edition and helped them record four songs but was initially unable to get the tracks published. “Kool’s manager Buzz Willis really helped me during this period” – the record, which Odoms pressed and distributed, would eventually become a success for the group, through his own hard work and the support of Willis ^[76]Billboard-1982-06-12 Pg10. The bands 1982 album “A Song For Everyone” included credit’s for Odom for mixed, Executive-Producer, Management, Directed By writer, vocals and executive producer.

Nelson George’s “The Rhythm & The Blues” column announced in May 1983 that Gerald Delet, president of TWM Management (business manager for Kool & The Gang), is now handling the business affairs of two veteran black acts, Kool & The Gang and the Manhattans. Due to illness, Winston “Buzz” Willis has resigned as manager of Kool & The Gang. The band members are now acting as their own management with Delet.

In December 1983, Nelson George would again dedicate his column to Kool & The Gang – “In New Directions.” It noted that the partnership with Eumir Deodato was over, for now, noting Deodato was doing work with Con Funk Shun. Nelson also noted that Quintet Associates management had moved in with Delet’s TYM offices in the last year, again noting Buzz “took ill” and the Kools were effectively still managing themselves.

Greyfox Records

It’s not clear what happened to Willis, or what his illness was, but it seems to have been at least a time to step back for him. In late November 1985, it was reported that Buzzy had reappeared as president of a new label out of Jersey called Greyfox Records. Their debut album would be by “Platinum Hook,” who had previously been signed by (the late) Benny Ashburne. The label head would be Bob Durdin, chairman, and Buzzy Willis would serve as president ^[77]Cash Box – November 23, 1985 Pg16 ^[78]Same or similar also appeared in BRE Black Radio Exclusive November 29, 1985 Pg30 and Billboard.

Benny Ashburne was the Commodores’ manager from 1968 through to his passing in 1982 ^[79]The Afro American – Sep 11, 1982. The band Platinum Hook had been signed to Motown in the late 1970s and delivered three albums. The band was initially called the Soul Dukes and released one album, renamed themselves “Platinum Hook,” and were signed to Motown in 1978, releasing the first of three albums the same year. I assume this was the same band, and Greyfox was trying to re-launch the band. I could find no details of the label or the release ^[80]http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Platinum%20Hook.html.

At the same time, Platinum Hook Productions Inc. and Platinum Hook Publishing Co., formed by Steve Daniels, Vic Jones, Robin Corley, and Deidra Corley, all members of the former Motown band Platinum Hook, were at the same address but had a different phone number than Grey Fox Records (with a space). The first record was “I Walk The Line” by Steve Daniels, Vic Jones, and Robin Corley. Box 599, Palmyra, N.J. 08065 – Again, no further details. Stephen Daniels spent much of the eighties working in the Italian Disco scene ^[81]https://www.discogs.com/artist/379234-Stephen-Daniels?redirected=true.

The Chantels

In 1989, in an article about the Chantels and their members, and importantly, the ownership of the group’s name itself. The article states that former member Arlene Smith still performs occasionally and does use the name the Chantels, but the group name legally belongs to all the members.

Chantels member Jackie Landry Jackson was reported as saying, “There was an attempt about eight years ago (1981) to reunite. Producer Buzz Willis recorded a production that might’ve brought us back as a unit, but the project was halted indefinitely.” ^[82]BRE / Black Radio Exclusive – July 28th, 1989 Pg29 – Whatever happened to that project, and where are the tapes?

The Rebirth of Kool

Also in 1989, Kool and the Gang were back (they took a hiatus from recording and traveling) at it and chasing the charts with their new Polygram album, “Sweat” – their 23rd studio album in 20 years and with new lead singers. Bob Long’s 2-page article led with “Congratulations on a most welcome return to the business. You’ve gotten reacquainted with an old friend, your manager Buzz Willis.” – Willis was in attendance at the interview – in response to a later question, Willis answered, “Then egos and things got in the way, and we departed for about three, three and a half years.”

“Robert and I always stayed in touch. I’d call him from Canada, Venezuela, or wherever I was. In Allentown, I became a consultant for the government for a while up in Canada, but we stayed in touch. Timing was very important.” ^[83]Cash Box – September 23rd, 1989 Pg6-Pg7

Buzz Willis and Robert “Kool” Bell, with Alan Bellman, were behind Alexander O’Neal’s return to recording in 1998 – They were the executive producers of O’Neal’s “Lovers Again” – reviewed Billboard May 23, 1998.

Rewards and other Service Recognition

[Another obviously incomplete list but here are public pronouncements]

• 1970 NATRA administration award
• 1970’s Harlem Professional League – Harlem based professional League – board member ^[84]Cash Box – August 13th, 1973, Pg 10.
• The National Youth Movement (Rev. Al Sharpton, Chairman, president) Honoree – 1975 ^[85]Billboard – September 9th, 1975 Pg45^[86]Cash Box – September 20th, 1975 Pg55.
• 1996 Appointed to Jersey City Cultural Arts Commission along with Robert “Kool” Bell Mayor Bret Schundler.
• 1998 (April) The Living Legends Foundation is dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of those who shape America’s broadcast and recording industries. – Willis recognized in 1998 ^[87]Billboard May 23rd, 1998 later became Foundation Board member
• 2010 PARADISE MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT INC – In an SEC Filing, On May 4, 2010, the Board of Directors elected Winston (“Buzz”) Willis, a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, as its Chief Executive Officer, replacing President and Acting Principal Financial and Accounting Officer to replace Boris Rubizhevsky who resigned these positions as well as a member of our Board of Directors on April 26, 2009.
• 2015 Euro-American Women’s Council Brings Leaders from Greece, Europe, Asia, Latin America and United States to U.S. Capitol for 19th Global Goddess Artemis Ceremony May 22, 2015 – Honoree recognized for his distinguished leadership – Mr. Winston “Buzz” Willis – CEO/Pres All Access Entertainment Group.

Discography

As Buzz Willis spent much of his career in back office and management roles it’s hard to know exactly how many singles, albums and CD’s he was involved with. The best source for his credited contributions have been consolidated into a single entry on discogs.

Disogs typically uses a “Proper Artist Name” or PAN which is often but not always the artists real name; it also uses a system of “Artist Name Variation” where if a credit on a label or album sleeve says “W.Willis” on some and “Winston Willis” on others the release are all interconnected. In this case the PAN used in “Buzz Willis”. The reason for this is it makes it easier for record/music collectors to find a specific release by searching for details list on the sleeve or record labels.

After some significant editing, all of the releases for Buzz that are in the discogs database are linked to the PAN “Buzz Willis”. As of this update there are 89-entries ^[88]https://www.discogs.com/artist/562572-Buzz-Willis.

References & Citations

Other researchers interested in Winston Buzz Willis should also consider the Archives of African American Music and Culture [AAMC]. In it’s collections it holds a number of pictures of Mr Willis. At this time, I’ve been unable to secure permission to include any of them ^[89]https://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/images/splash.htm?scope=aaamc. The AAMC at Indiana University is also home to the ‘Jack Gibson Collection, 1942-2000″ – This is likely to include many papers and other material relevant to this post. I would welcome any feedback, additional material or corrections from anyone that is able to visit ^[90]https://archives.iu.edu/html/VAD5483.html.

UPDATES: Added third discogs profile I missed in original post. Thread discussing the consolidation of entries is here.
May 21st, 2025: 11:00 Rewrote the discography section having edited all the entries. Also added a note about “w & m” in copyright recording entries.
May 21st, 2025: Corrected NARAS to NARA in Wilson Pickett text
April 4th, 2026: Updated TOC format