Kenneth Gamble

Philadelphia-born Kenneth Gamble enjoyed his first taste of the music business as a singer recording for various record labels including Columbia, Epic, Atlantic and Arctic. But that, indeed, was only the beginning. Entering the field as an artist, he soon spread his wings as an entrepreneur, becoming a record store proprietor, leader of a group (Kenny Gamble and The Romeos) and founder of Gamble Records, a company which distributed its own product and also gave birth to The Intruders, a local group which managed to dent the charts.

Over the years since the early '60s, Gamble has become a songwriter and producer of major importance, contributing much to the later development that came to be known as The Philadelphia Sound. He has written and produced for such names as Jerry Butler, Wilson Pickett, Laura Nyro, Nancy Wilson and Dusty Springfield and has also played a role in the career development of such performers as Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, The O'Jays, MFSB, Shirley Jones, The Jones Girls, The Whitehead Brothers and Billy Paul.

Gamble, with then partner Leon Huff, co-founded Philadelphia International Records in 1971, thereby setting in motion a chain of events which would not only focus national attention on the validity of black music, but also give new meaning to the term, "The Philadelphia Sound." When the company first became associated with CBS Records for distribution, it was Gamble who worked directly with CBS sales and promotion personnel in developing campaigns to reach this powerful, ever-growing market.

Despite the pressure of his ongoing musical activities, Gamble has managed to make many social contributions as well. He is a past board chairman of The Black Music Association, an information center designed to preserve and perpetuate black music as an art form throughout the world. He was chairman and founder of an organization known as Clean Up The Ghetto, Inc., which employed youth in inner city areas throughout the country. At one point, he arranged for a special album titled "Let's Clean Up the Ghetto," which featured stars from the Philadelphia International roster. Net proceeds of album sales were earmarked for future community programs.

He was also a partner in the publishing firm, Mighty Three Music, once the subject of an accolade from Billboard Magazine, as the number one soul/rhythm and blues music publisher. Gamble is currently the owner of 175 gold and platinum records, and was nominated, along with his partner, Leon Huff, for his first Grammy in 1972, with the Billy Paul number one hit, "Me and Mrs. Jones." A second Grammy nomination came in 1976, for the Lou Rawls smash, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine." In 1989, Gamble and Huff won their first Grammy for best rhythm and blues song, "If You Don't Know Me By Now," a number one hit that year for Simply Red.

Gamble, with several music industry colleagues from the Quaker City music fraternity, founded The Philadelphia Music Foundation, whose purpose is to honor the contributions of talented Philadelphians. The organization has established a "Walk of Fame" on South Broad Street in Center City Philadelphia, just south of City Hall. Bronze plaques bearing the names of historic personalities who have been inducted into the "Walk of Fame," are inlaid in the sidewalk in a two-block area. Gamble, and partner Leon Huff were themselves inducted in 1993, with their plaques in the walkway just outside their Philadelphia International offices.