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  • Oral History

Johnny Sippel

September 24, 1997 OHC404 217 min.
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Biography


Music journalist and record promoter. Born September 13, 1912. Wrote country music news columns for Billboard late 1940s-early 1950s. Later with Mercury Records and Monument Records.

Interview Summary

1997 September 24
(2 hours, 37 minutes)
Johnny Sippel discusses his career, primarily his work for Mercury Records. Discussion includes his impressions of Fred Rose; his relationship with Hank Williams; people he worked with, including Murray Nash and Bill McCall; how well Bob Wills treated him; getting a job at Mercury Records, distributing and promoting all of their catalog; how he set up promotions in record stores; initiating a survey of U.S. radio stations to determine the percentage of country music played; and how Fred Foster hired him to manage Monument Records.