Dixon, along with Fervor Records executives David Hilker and Jeff Freundlich, will be presenting the first check to PCM on May 6th, 2018 at the Scholarship Celebration Concert. The donation will be made under Floyd and Mary Ramsey Scholarship Fund. See below for more information on the Ramsey legacy.
Where:
Salvation Army KROC Center
1375 E Broadway Rd • Phoenix, AZ 85040
When: Sunday, May 6
5pm – 7pm MST
Tickets are $10 each (purchase here)
Help make this an evening to remember by providing generous support, good fellowship, and an appreciative audience for all of students in celebration of their accomplishments. Music performances by ensembles performing pop, rock, and blues favorites! Celebrate PCM’s five week scholarship recipients, senior accomplishments, and visit with PCM alumni!
Floyd Ramsey was the unsung hero and unassuming man behind the scenes who dramatically impacted the emerging sound of pop music starting in the mid 1950’s. Floyd and Mary Ramsey’s empire included the legendary recording studio Audio Recorders of Arizona, record labels Liberty Bell, REV, MCI, and Ramco Records, as well as several publishing entities.
Ramsey’s innovative ideas, recording techniques, and keen eye for talent helped catapult singer Sanford Clark to the top of the Billboard Charts in 1956, then took rock and roll icon Duane Eddy into the mainstream conscious in 1958. Eddy’s distinctive “Twang Heard Round the World” gave rise to the 1960’s surf movement.
Ramsey had a remarkable ability to spot and nurture talent on all sides of the business including recording engineer Jack Miller (The Rolling Stones, Henry Mancini, The Monkees, Herman and the Hermits, The Animals), musician/songwriter/producer Connie Conway (Sanford Clark), songwriter/producer/artist Lee Hazlewood (Duane Eddy, Nancy Sinatra, Dean Martin). He helped launch the careers of music icons including Waylon Jennings, Wayne Newton, Donna Fargo, Duane Eddy, Lee Hazlewood, and famed Wrecking Crew guitarist and Billboard Chart topper Al Casey to name just a few.
John P. Dixon is now the owner of this incredible catalog of music, which is licensed to hit TV shows, films and advertisements. The annual donation is funded through the licensing fees generated from this catalog. Examples of shows using the music include Legends of Tomorrow (The CW), NCIS LA (CBS), Lucifer (FOX), Mad Men (AMC). Fervor Records will continue this annual donation after John’s demise to salute the incredible contribution that the Ramsey’s made to music and to perpetuate their legacies.
Fervor Records executives on their involvement:
“It is truly an honor to perpetuate the legacies of Floyd and Mary Ramsey. They were trailblazing music entrepreneurs who continue to inspire all of us at Fervor Records. There is no better way to honor Floyd and Mary than to provide ongoing opportunities to future generations of musicians.” – David Hilker, CEO
“Fervor Records is proud to play a role in the betterment of aspiring musicians through education. Phoenix Conservatory of Music is doing incredible work in our local community.” – Jeff Freundlich, COO
John P. Dixon on Floyd and Mary Ramsey:
“I first met Floyd and Mary when I made a recording at Audio Recorders in 1966. Being a big Arizona music fan, I was thrilled to archive the tapes in Floyd’s garage years later when I really got serious about archiving the history of music here. Floyd and his father Clay started Ramsey’s Recorders in the late 40’s, and with wife Mary at his side built their recording business into a multi million dollar operation. I was honored and humbled when The Ramsey’s sold me their audio masters and publishing in 2006 that my partners at Fervor Records have successfully licensed to films, cable, advertising and television, heard around the world.”
John P. Dixon on donating to PCM:
“It’s all about keeping the music alive and supporting those who are teaching our youth to create and appreciate their own musical creations. All across the country, funds for musical education have been cut, and here in Arizona we are lucky to have an organization like PCM to provide in-house teaching, mentoring, and quality outreach programs in schools across the valley. By creating this scholarship fund, I want to insure that PCM continues their important mission in our community and that The Ramsey’s are recognized for their important contributions to Arizona’s musical history.”
John P. Dixon on the music:
“In the short term, it’s a wonderful revenue stream for myself and the singers and musicians who sang or played on those great recordings from fifty years ago. In the long term, it allows me the freedom to continue my historical Arizona music projects (records, CD’s etc), and add items to my Arizona Music Archives, the largest collection of Arizona music: records, tapes and ephemera, in the world. I am committed to keeping Arizona music alive and the Floyd and Mary Ramsey Scholarship Fund will help me do that.”