Anybody familiar with Hal Leonard Music?

[radiolee]

This is big local news-

http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2006/12/01/news/01park1.txt


Hal Leonard owns the printing rights to a whole lot of popular music.



Quiz: Who was Hal Leonard?

Hint: It's a trick question.


If anybody gets it I will be amazed.

 

[ozmoid]

As a self-professed "Band Geek" from 7th grade through 1st year college, I have played literally hundreds of "Hal Leonard" arrangements, and I still didn't know who he is/was.

In the late 1930s in Winona, Minnesota, Harold "Hal" Edstrom, his brother Everett "Leonard" Edstrom and their friend Roger Busdicker had formed a very popular dance band. The Edstroms' father didn't approve of his sons becoming traveling musicians, and did not want them to use the family name. Consequently, Harold and Ev took parts of their names and called the band Hal Leonard. As leader of the Hal Leonard Band, Ev eventually became known as "Hal Leonard."

 

[radiolee]

I believe the publishing business got its start when the local school bands started buying Hal and Ev's arrangements of popular songs. Or something like that...

I use to be the FedEx pickup guy for them and I can tell you, they sell a s--tload of music books and those suckers ARE heavy.

It's good to see them stay in town.