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CMH Records, Inc.
As a child in Stuttgart, Germany, during World War II, CMH founder
Martin Haerle heard American country music on Armed Forces Radio and was
hooked. At the age of 20, he moved to Nashville and landed a job at
Starday Records, where he learned the record business from the mailroom
up. He eventually became vice president of the legendary label during
its early ‘60s heyday.
In 1975, Haerle formed CMH Records in Los
Angeles, California, with Arthur Smith, the renowned guitarist whose
“Guitar Boogie” was the first million-selling country instrumental and
who wrote “Dueling Banjos,” the Bluegrass standard made famous by the
movie “Deliverance.” Smith and Haerle set about signing the greatest
names in Bluegrass and established a roster unparalleled in the field.
Lester Flatt, The Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse, Mac Wiseman, Merle
Travis, Grandpa Jones, Carl Story, Don Reno, The Bluegrass Cardinals,
The Stonemans and many others recorded some of their finest work for CMH
during the ‘70s and ‘80s. The label accumulated a rich catalog of
classic American roots music, garnering numerous awards and Grammy
nominations along the way.
When Martin Haerle passed away in 1990, his
son David became president and initiated CMH’s popular “Pickin’ On”
series, which offers instrumental tributes to artists from The Beatles
to The Grateful Dead to U2, to the delight of traditional bluegrass fans
and new listeners alike.
CMH Records remains dedicated to presenting the
finest in Bluegrass and roots music, through re-issues of classic
material by the greats and stellar recordings from new voices. |
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