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In the early 1960s, he stopped producing records but remained active in the music business as a publisher. During the 1960s and later, Rupe became increasingly involved in oil and gas investments. Success in this area allowed him to establish the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, a philanthropy based in Santa Barbara. Specialty was sold to Fantasy Records in 1991 and in 2007, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. |
In the early 1960s, he stopped producing records but remained active in the music business as a publisher. During the 1960s and later, Rupe became increasingly involved in oil and gas investments. Success in this area allowed him to establish the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, a philanthropy based in Santa Barbara. Specialty was sold to Fantasy Records in 1991 and in 2007, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. |
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| + | [[File:Art Rupe .jpg|thumb|Art Rupe in 1948]] |
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Rupe turned 100 years old in September 2017. He currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, at the age of {{AgeYD|1917|9|5}}. |
Rupe turned 100 years old in September 2017. He currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, at the age of {{AgeYD|1917|9|5}}. |
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Revision as of 14:19, 11 May 2021
| Art Rupe | |
 Art Rupe on His 100th Birthday | |
| Centenarian |
Arthur N. Rupe (born Arthur Goldberg; 5 September 1917) is an American music industry executive and record producer. He started Specialty Records, noted for its rhythm and blues, blues, gospel and early rock and roll music recordings, in Los Angeles in 1946.
Biography
Arthur Rupe was born to a working-class Jewish family in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA, on 5 September 1917 and grew up in nearby McKeesport. His father was a factory worker who had immigrated from Galicia, Austria and his mother was a housewife born in Pittsburgh. He graduated from McKeesport High School in 1935 and attended college at Virginia Tech and Miami University before graduating from UCLA with a degree in Business Administration.. During World War II, he worked for a shipbuilding company in Los Angeles. Along the way, he changed his surname from Goldberg to Rupe, which was an ancestral name.
He first formed Juke Box Records with Ben Siegert in 1944 and after a few singles, he broke with his partners and started a new company, Specialty Records. Over the next fifteen years Specialty Records became one of the most prominent independent record companies. Signing on artists such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Roy Milton, Percy Mayfield, Joe and Jimmy Liggins, Lloyd Price, Larry Williams among many others.
In the early 1960s, he stopped producing records but remained active in the music business as a publisher. During the 1960s and later, Rupe became increasingly involved in oil and gas investments. Success in this area allowed him to establish the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, a philanthropy based in Santa Barbara. Specialty was sold to Fantasy Records in 1991 and in 2007, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Art Rupe in 1948
Rupe turned 100 years old in September 2017. He currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, at the age of 106 years, 226 days.
References
- (...)Celebrating Art's 100th b'day! Billy Vera on Twitter, 14 September 2017
- Happy 100th to Rock Hall of Famer/Western PA Native Art Rupe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 18 September 2017
- Spoke with ART RUPE today. On the planet now for 103 years! Jerry Zolten on Facebook, 1 February 2021