Chess, Leonard (redirected from Lejzor Czyz)

Chess, Leonard

 orig. Lejzor Czyz

(born March 12, 1917, Motule, Pol.—died Oct. 16, 1969, Chicago, Ill., U.S.) Polish-born U.S. record producer. He immigrated to the U.S in 1928 with his mother, sister, and brother and future partner, Fiszel (later Philip; b. 1921), and they joined his father, who had preceded them, in Chicago. After working at several trades, Leonard Chess opened a lounge, and Phil joined him in the business. In 1947 Leonard joined the Aristocrat record company; in 1950 he bought the company and, with Phil as partner, renamed it Chess. Fans of the electric blues that were being heard in the city after World War II, they signed such artists as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf (1910–76), Etta James (b. 1938), Koko Taylor (b. 1935), and Bo Diddley (b. 1928), and played a major role in introducing black music to a wider white audience.

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Chess, Leonard (1917–69) recording executive; born in Poland. The founder of Chess Records, he was raised in Chicago, where his immigrant family settled in 1928. In 1939 he and his brother Phil Chess opened the Macombo Lounge, a nightclub catering to African-American patrons on Chicago's South Side. In 1946, the brothers formed Aristocrat Records and recorded several local blues artists, notably Muddy Waters. In 1950, Aristocrat was succeeded by Chess Records, which they operated until its sale in 1968. Throughout its operation, Chess featured the major figures of Chicago blues, including Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Willie Dixon, and this is its chief legacy. But by 1955, it had diversified to include rock 'n' roll pioneers Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, and in the 1960s its most popular artist was the soul singer Etta James. In 1963 he purchased radio station WVON ("Voice of the Negro") in Chicago, and by the time of his death from a heart attack, his firm, L & P Broadcasting, owned additional stations in Chicago and Milwaukee.