Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Item
Title
D10662-3
Date(s)
- 1940-12-30 (Creation)
Extent
Name of creator
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Oscar B. (O.B.) Clow, left, songwriter and jack of all trades and his collaborator Hy Seaman, right, share a knowing smile in December of 1940 over the grand piano in Clow's recording studio. Broadcast Music Inc. (B.M.I.) had just purchased the option rights to 4,000 of Clow's tunes. For years ASCAP (American Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers) had controlled the music publishing industry. Finally the radio broadcasters retaliated by forming BMI. Beginning January 1st, 1941, only B.M.I. controlled compositions would be played over the radio waves and broadcasters were scrambling for music. Clow sent BMI recordings of his songs and BMI optioned 4,000 of them, his life's work. Twenty four were released to 592 stations on Jan. 1st, 1941. Oscar Clow died July 1, 1942 at the age of 56 of a heart attack after playing golf. (T. Times 1/2/1941, pg. 1; obit. TNT 7/2/1942, pg. 1)
Clow, Oscar B.; Seaman, Hy; Composers; Inventors;