(Lou Bedell)

Lou Bedell was the founder of Dore Records in the fifties. Lou attended Santa Barbara State College, worked as a comedian in night clubs and later on TV in which he had the “Lou Bedell Show” in New York. In 1955 he was back on the West Coast where he and Herb Newman formed Era Records with numerous smash hits like “The Wayward Wind” Gogi Grant (#1 in 1956 knocking “Heartbreak Hotel” from the top spot), “Mr. Custer” #1 Larry Vernes, “Love Letters” #5 Ketty Lester, “Mission Bell” #7 Donne Brooks etc. After splitting with his co-founder he formed Dore Records in which he soon had another monster hit with “To Know Him Is To Love Him” #1 The Teddy Bears. One of the most interesting hits on Dore Records was the instrumental “Percolator Twist” with writers being listed as Lou Bedell and sax great Ernie Freeman. When publicity photos were sent out Lou posed as Billy Joe Hunter (in reality there was no Billy Joe). Ernie Freeman recorded “Percolator Twist”, based on the Maxwell House Coffee jingle, on the xylophone reaching #10 in 1962. Lou Bedell was born in El Paso, Texas.