HISTORY
OF JEROME PROMOTIONS
In order to understand
the history of Jerome Promotions, you must meet Bill Jerome, the founder
and president of Jerome Promotions. When Bill was 16, he saved his money
from a summer job to rent studio time so he could produce his first record.
Now all he needed was a group, a great song, and a record company to back
him up. Not realizing that he was trying to accomplish the
impossible,
he found all three. That first record sold a quarter of a million copies.
Later, a chance meeting with Quincy Jones and Phil Ramone in a studio where
Bill was also recording proved to be a turning point in Bill's career. "The
most talented men I ever met", Bill recounts, "invited me to several recording
sessions and gave me the opportunity to learn how to produce a hit record."
Less than six months later, Bill began producing a series of hits including
"Walk Away, Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina" by The Left Banke (Smash Records),
"Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead" by The Fifth Estate (Jubilee Records). His
biggest selling hit, "Popcorn" by Hot Butter (Musicor Records), also featured
him as a performer. All told, sales of his many recordings reached over eleven
million worldwide. Bill's promotional ideas so impressed TK Records that Moe
Preskell, VP of Promotion for TK, hired him to work a then unknown artist,
K.C. and the Sunshine Band. Helping to be part of the success of that group
and a number of other artists for TK taught Bill an important lesson about
promotions. "The most important thing I learned about promotion working with
TK Records", Bill explains, "is how critical the secondary radio stations
are for launching new artists." Relying on his years of experience and connections
in the music business….as musician, producer, writer, and promoter…Bill decided
to open his own promotion company, Jerome Promotions, in 1981. That same spirit
of hard work and determination that led a 16 year old boy to fulfill his dream
of producing a hit single is what fueled Jerome Promotions to be part of the
hit-making process for such artists as REM, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Greenday,
Enya, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Black Crowes, LeAnn Rimes, and American Hifi
(LINK). What makes Jerome Promotions different from other promotion companies?
"I don't know of any other promotion company led by someone with my variety
of experiences", explains Bill. " I've written songs, performed on my recordings,
produced a number of hit records, and promoted countless singles for other
artists." Now, twenty years later, Jerome Promotions has had successful projects
with a number of major labels such as Warner Brothers, Universal, Curb, Island,
Arista, Capitol, Columbia, Epic, and Reprise. They have also provided a "foot
in the door" for a number of small, independent labels looking for opportunities.
What makes Jerome Promotions continue to thrive in a business that tends to
chew people up and spit them out? According to Bill, "I believe that my professionalism
shows in every aspect of my work. I have developed an honest relationship
with both radio and clients over the years. In this business, it's not just
who you know, it's how you get the job done."
