From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sun Dec 8, 2002  7:11 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Dick Glasser

DICK GLASSER (By Jean-Marc Pezet)

Born Richard Eugene Glasser, 8 December 1933, Canton, Ohio
Died 10 July 2000, Thousand Oaks, California

Rock 'n' Roll singer, songwriter, music publisher and record producer

Dick Glasser worked in radio right after graduating from High School. He
co-wrote his first song "Angels" with a school buddy and recorded a demo in
the nearby church. Having placed the song with Pee Wee King's publishing
company, it became Dick's first single in 1953 on the local Triple A label.
Drafted for the next two years, Dick came back to find his song, renamed
"Angels In The Sky", a hit for crooner Tony Martin and a few months later,
a Top 20 hit on Mercury by The Crew Cuts.
In late 1955, Dick joined Pee Wee King's Golden West Cowboys who were
trying to cope with the current rock'n'roll craze. They cut a series of rockin'
country boogies including the excellent Glasser-co-penned "Ballroom Baby"
and "Catty Town".
He then joined Dot in 1956 and, under the name of Dick Lory, recut a rocking
version of "Ballroom Baby", coupled with "Cool It Baby".
He also pitched "All Right Baby" for Janis Martin, "I Got It" for Gene Vincent,
"That's My Doll" for Donnie White and "Baby Baby" for Dale Hawkins.
Hopping to Argo for a clutch of singles in 1957, notably "Crazy Love" as by
Dick Glasser and also a duet with his brothers, "Baby Bye Bye" as Dickie &
The Gees, Dick & his brothers then moved to Columbia for releases as Lory /
Glasser / The Gees.
By 1960, relocated on the West Coast, Dick joined Liberty's new country
division as an artist, in-house writer and producer and later as administrator
of Metric Music, Liberty's publishing company.
He wrote for Buddy Knox, Gene McDaniels, Bobby Vee and The Fleetwoods
and penned "I Will" which became a hit for Vic Dana, Billy Fury and Dean Martin.
He also scored a hit in Australia as Dick Lory with "Handsome Guy" and was
responsible for signing and producing Jackie DeShannon. He then took off
direction of Dolton Records and was responsible for bringing back The Ventures
to success.
In 1965, Dick moved to Warner Brothers as A&R director, where he produced
hits by Freddy Cannon ("Action"), The Everly Brothers ("The Price Of Love")
and The Marketts ("Batman Theme").
After MGM, Dick formed his own publishing company with further chart
successes, managed MGM's Nashville office and kept a seat as executive
vice-president of Gari Communications. He died of lung cancer only aged 66.

Recommended listening:

- Dick's country boogie sides are on the Peee Wee King 6CD Bear Family
box-set and also on an old Detour LP (Ballroom Kings - Detour 33-001)
- "Catty Town" with Pee Wee King Band is on  That'll Flat Git It Vol 1 - RCA
Bear Family BCD 15622
- "Ballroom Baby" as Dick Lory is on That'lll Flat Git It Vol 5 - DOT
Bear Family BCD 15711
- "Crazy Love" is on That'll Flat Git It Voll 10- CHESS
Bear Family BCD 16123