Music / Business & brands
Harry Balk
1925–2016 · record producer, A&R executive, label founder
Detroit-born producer who discovered Little Willie John and Rodriguez, co-produced Del Shannon's “Runaway,” and created Motown's rock label Rare Earth.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
Oak Park, Michigan
aged 91- Also known as
- Tom King
- Detroit years
- 1925–1970s, later years until 2016
- Field
- Music, Business & brands
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Balk grew up around 12th Street in Detroit and managed his uncle's Krim Theatre, where talent contests led him to Little Willie John in the early 1950s. In 1959 he and Irving Micahnik set up Embee Productions and Twirl Records in offices above the Carmen Theatre in Dearborn, producing Johnny and the Hurricanes' “Red River Rock” and Del Shannon's “Runaway” and “Hats Off to Larry”; by keeping control of their masters they became pioneering independent producers. His later Impact label scored with the Shades of Blue and signed Sixto Rodriguez, whose rediscovery inspired Searching for Sugar Man. After Motown bought his Inferno label in 1968, he became Motown's head of A&R, turned the Detroit band the Sunliners into Rare Earth and launched the Rare Earth label. He also pushed for the release of Marvin Gaye's “What's Going On.” He later ran a label in California and died in Oak Park in 2016.
Highlights
- Discovered and managed Little Willie John
- Co-produced Del Shannon's “Runaway” (1961)
- Signed Sixto Rodriguez to his Impact label
- Created Motown's Rare Earth label (late 1960s)
- Championed Marvin Gaye's “What's Going On” (1971)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Founded · 1959–1960s
Carmen Theatre building (Embee Productions)
Status being checked
Embee Productions and Twirl Records had their offices upstairs in this Dearborn theater building.
Worked here · late 1940s–early 1950s
Krim Theatre
Status being checked
His uncle's Detroit movie house, which he managed and where his talent contests turned up Little Willie John.