Archie Bleyer

Archie Bleyer (June 12, 1909-March 20, 1989) was an American song arranger and band leader.
He was born in the Corona section of the New York City borough of Queens. He began playing the piano when he was only seven years old. In 1927 he went to Columbia College, intending to become an electrical engineer, but as a sophomore switched to a music major. Without graduating, he left to become an arranger.
In 1934, he started leading a band of his own at Earl Carroll's club in Hollywood, California. Bleyer's orchestra recorded for Brunswick Records, and one of the vocalists who worked with this orchestra was Johnny Mercer, who became better known as a songwriter and co-founder of Capitol Records.
In the 1940s he became musical director for Arthur Godfrey, serving in this role until the 1950s.
In 1952 he founded Cadence Records, whose first artist was Godfrey alumnus Julius La Rosa. He went on to sign many other artists who had performed on Godfrey's programs (including The Chordettes, one of whose members, Janet Ertel, became his wife), as well as Andy Williams and The Everly Brothers. Bleyer's connections with the Everlys also included serving as their producer and as father-in-law of Phil Everly. He had his own recording hits on the Cadence label as well.
He died in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.


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