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'''Lester Sill''' (January 13, 1918 – October 31, 1994) was an [[United States|American]] [[record label]] executive who rose to become the president of Screen Gems-Columbia Music, a director at ASCAP and consulting president for Jobete Music (the publishing arm of Motown Records).<ref name="Dec 25, 1976 Billboard p. 27"/> As an independent producer in the 1950s and 1960s, he was a moving force behind Hadda Brooks and B. B. King.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1994"/> He formed independent labels around composers like Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Lee Hazlewood and Phil Spector. Rostered artists included Duane Eddy, The Coasters, The Paris Sisters, and The Crystals.<ref name="AllMusic Lester"/> Sill managed the talent that went on to become The Wall of Sound, <ref name="AllMusic Lester"/> and The Wrecking Crew.<ref name="Paulson 2012"/><ref name="Feldman 2021"/>
Sill's partnership with Lee Hazlewood launched the career of Duane Eddy and many of the studio musicians supporting the act went on to be core members of The Wrecking Crew.<ref name="Paulson 2012"/><ref name="Feldman 2021"/> Sill hired Phil Spector as an apprentice to Leiber and Stoller and eventually partnered with Spector in the Philles label, the name being a combination of both men's informal first names. In return for his support and generosity (Spector lived in Sill's home for several years),<ref name="Ribowsky 2000 p. 57 Spector in Sill's home"/> Sill was never repaid for his investment in Philles Records and The Wall of Sound.<ref name="AllMusic Lester"/> Following this, as a record executive, Sill worked under Don Kirshner where his responsibilities included acts like The Monkeys, The Partridge Family and Carol King.<ref name="King 2012 p. ">{{cite book | last=King | first=C. | title=A Natural Woman: A Memoir | publisher=Grand Central Publishing | year=2012 | isbn=978-1-4555-1259-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6O9Onmu9_cC | language=fr | access-date=2019-11-07 | page=}}</ref><ref name="Lester Sill Dies at 76 Billboard"/>
[[Carol King]] credits Sill for his hospitality and guidance in her memoirs. <ref name="King 2012 p. "/>
== Early life ==
In 1964, Sill resurfaced as a consultant to Screen Gems-Columbia Music president [[Don Kirshner]]. Although the position was temporary, he ended up staying with the company for over two decades, eventually taking over Kirshner's position. In 1985, Sill was named president and CEO of Jobete Music, the publishing arm of [[Berry Gordy|Berry Gordy, Jr.]]'s [[Motown]] empire. He remained with Jobete until his death in Los Angeles on October 31, 1994.<ref name="AllMusic Lester"/>
==Family==
His three sons are music supervisors in film and television:
Joel Sill,<ref name="Yang Yang 2018">{{cite web | last=Yang | first=Rachel | last2=Yang | first2=Rachel | title=Guild of Music Supervisors Awards to Honor Joel Sill; King Princess to Perform (EXCLUSIVE) | website=Variety | date=2018-12-13 | url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/guild-music-supervisors-awards-joel-sill-king-princess-1203088235/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107203851/https://variety.com/2018/music/news/guild-music-supervisors-awards-joel-sill-king-princess-1203088235/ | archive-date=2019-11-07 | url-status=live | access-date=2019-11-07}}</ref>
Greg Sill,<ref name="Greg Sill Variety">{{cite web | title=Greg Sill, ‘Justified’ Music Supervisor, Dies at 63 – Variety | website=Variety | url=https://variety.com/2018/music/obituaries-people-news/music-supervisor-greg-sill-dead-1202731633/ | access-date=2019-11-04| archive-date=2019-11-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104171622/https://variety.com/2018/music/obituaries-people-news/music-supervisor-greg-sill-dead-1202731633/}}</ref> and Lonnie Sill.
<ref name="AllMusic Lonnie">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lonnie-sill-mn0001915687|title=Lonnie Sill's credits|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=November 7, 2019}}</ref> His stepson [[Chuck Kaye]] is a longtime music publishing executive.<ref name="Greg Sill Variety"/>
==References==
<ref name="AllMusic Lester">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lester-sill-mn0000273082/biography|title=Lester Sill's biography|publisher=AllMusic|author=Jason Ankeny|accessdate=February 16, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Lester Sill Dies at 76 Billboard">{{cite book | title=Billboard | publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. | issn=0006-2510 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 | language=de | access-date=2021-07-16 | pages= 10-28}}</ref>
<ref name="Paulson 2012">{{cite web | last=Paulson | first=Linda Dailey | title=Lee Hazlewood Biography | website=Musician Biographies | date=2012-04-02 | url=http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003874/Lee-Hazlewood.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402083558/http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003874/Lee-Hazlewood.html | archive-date=2012-04-02 | url-status=live | access-date=2021-07-17}}</ref>
<ref name="Feldman 2021">{{cite web | last=Feldman | first=Kate | title=Phil Spector, music producer and convicted killer, dead at 81 | website=nydailynews.com | date=2021-01-17 | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-phil-spector-obituary-20210117-j53z3bnizzc75nw3235lrmkit4-story.html | access-date=2021-07-17}}</ref>
<ref name="Ribowsky 2000 p. 57 Spector in Sill's home">{{cite book | last=Ribowsky | first=M. | title=He's a Rebel: Phil Spector, Rock and Roll's Legendary Producer | publisher=Cooper Square Press | series=G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series | year=2000 | isbn=978-0-8154-1044-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jsQRwiwtlN0C&pg=PA57 | access-date=2021-07-18 | page=57}}</ref>
<ref name="AllMusic Lester">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lester-sill-mn0000273082/biography|title=Lester Sill's biography|publisher=AllMusic|author=Jason Ankeny|accessdate=February 16, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="BlackCat Rockabilly Europe 2018">{{cite web | title=LESTER SILL | website=BlackCat Rockabilly Europe | date=2018-12-19 | url=http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/lester_sill.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219204615/http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/lester_sill.htm | archive-date=2018-12-19 | url-status=live | access-date=2019-11-07}}</ref>
<ref name="King 2012 p. ">{{cite book | last=King | first=C. | title=A Natural Woman: A Memoir | publisher=Grand Central Publishing | year=2012 | isbn=978-1-4555-1259-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6O9Onmu9_cC | language=fr | access-date=2019-11-07 | page=}}</ref>
}}