Gentry McCreary

Gentry McCreary, Sr. (born Gentry McCreary on September 19, 1941 in Oakland, California) is an award-winning gospel music executive who has blazed a path for legions of Gospel music artists during his decades-long career. He's most noted as the First African-American Executive to be employed by Word Records, Light Records and Benson Records. With a 45-year industry and award-winning track record, McCreary's achievements also include the development of his own labels, Luminar and Onyx International Records.

Gentry McCreary
Birth nameGentry McCreary
Also known asUncle Gentry
Born (1941-09-19) 19 September 1941
Oakland, California
GenresGospel Music
Occupation(s)Gospel Music Executive
Years active1970 - 2015
LabelsShelter Records
Birthright Records
Word Records
Light Records
The Benson Group
Luminar Records
Onyx Int'l Records
Associated actsMary McCreary
J. J. Cale
The Gap Band
Dwight Twilley
Freddie King
Tom Petty
Phoebe Snow
The Grease Band
The Heavenly Tones
The Caravans
Rodena Preston
Edwin Hawkins
Leon Patillo
Larnell Harris
Billy Preston
Walter Hawkins
Tramaine Hawkins
Andrae’ Crouch
Jessy Dixon
The Winans
Rev. James Moore
Richard Smallwood
Vanessa Bell Armstrong
Mel Carter
Thomas Whitfield
The New York City Family
Danniebelle Hall
Paul Morton
Daryl Coley
LeCresia Campbell
Rickey Grundy

Early years

Gentry McCreary's music career began in 1964 when he became the manager of the Gospel group called "The Heavenly Tones". They wenton to recorded an album entitled "I Love the Lord" in 1966 that was produced by the legendary Reverend James Cleveland in the city Los Angeles, California. By 1967 Mary McCreary, Vet Stewart, and Elva "Tiny" Mouton collaborated with Sly and the Family Stone, a venture that lead to the formation of Sly's Little Sister in 1969. The group later released a single entitled You Are The One. By 1972 Gentry organized a choir called The New Generation Singers which toured all over the Local Bay Area. As time progressed, Gentry managed the dealings for Mary McCrary's debut solo album entitled Butterflies in Heaven which was released in 1973 on Shelter Records. Mary's second solo album released on Shelter Records, was entitled Jezebel which was distributed by MCA Records.[1]

Musical career

Birthright Records ignited McCreary's career in the late '60s when hiring him in their radio promotions department. There, he promoted artists such as The Caravans, Rodena Preston and Edwin Hawkins. In the early '70s, Word Records hired the Oakland native as its Director of Promotions for Black Radio—making him the First Black Executive ever hired by the label. While at Word, McCreary experienced phenomenal success promoting artists such as Leon Patillo, Larnell Harris and Billy Preston.

A pivotal move for McCreary occurred in the late '70s, when Light Records hired him as Director of National Radio Promotions. Light was quickly becoming an industry leader in Black Gospel Music, as McCreary worked with the likes of Walter Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Andrae’ Crouch, Jessy Dixon and The Winans. The company rewarded McCreary's exceptional promotion of these artists by giving him his own record label, Luminar Records.[2] McCreary wasted no time building his list of achievements as he signed an unknown artist named Rev. James Moore. Moore went on to receive a 1982 Dove Award nomination for Inspirational Gospel Album of the Year.

Throughout the 1980s McCreary continued to establish himself as an industry leader and innovator by scouting, developing and producing unknown new artists. It's during this era that McCreary is credited with pitching the highly circulated hymnal "Yes Lord" to leaders of the Church of God in Christ organization.[3] McCreary also began work at a new label in the early '80s—Benson Records.[4] There, he held the title International Director of Radio Promotions, before Benson granted him a solo label called Onyx International Records.[5] New artists such as Richard Smallwood,[6] Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Thomas Whitfield, The New York City Family, Danniebelle Hall and Bishop Paul S. Morton[7] signed on with Onyx. In conjunction with the newly signed artists, Onyx released Mel Carter's album entitled Willing that earned a Dove Nomination. By the mid 1980s, McCreary had accepted a position at Plumbline Records as the Vice President of A&R.[8] While at Plumbline, he signed new artists such as Daryl Coley, LeCresia Campbell, and Rickey Grundy. It was during this time that he presented talent at Midem, the International Music Market in Cannes, France.

McCreary continued to showcase his talent into the early 1990s after PepperCo Records hired him as Senior VP and Director of A&R where he signed unknown new artists, as Yvette Flunder, Shirley Miller, and Dominion & Power, among others. Later, he accepted a position at Ocean Records as head of the Black Gospel division where he worked with artists such as Sisters, Prophet Calvin Suggs, David R. Curry - Jr. Presents The Mississippi Mass Fine Arts and Seminar Choir, Edgar O'Neal & The Faith United Inspirational Choir. It was during this period that McCreary also co-founded Red Hot Music Group and developed Gentry McCreary Presents,[9] which introduced James H. Brown & Company, and Derick Hughes.

McCreary has won various Gospel Industry awards, including the Bay Area's Black Diamond Dynasty Living Legend Award, and Producer of the Year.[10] In 2008, he was awarded the first "Lilly Mack Pioneer's Award" for his dedication to the Gospel Music Industry. In September 2010, Gentry received his first Lifetime Achievement Award for the Impact of Music in Ministry by the city of Temecula, California[11] McCreary continues to blaze trails in the Gospel music industry as Gentry currently owns McCreary & Associates, a consulting company for numerous major and independent artists and label executive.

Discography

Gentry McCreary served as Executive Producer for all of the following albums:

Awards
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for the Impact of Music in Ministry[11]
  • Bay Area's Black Diamond Dynasty Living Legend Award
  • Lilly Mack Pioneer's Award[12]
  • Producer Of The Year.[10]

References
  1. "Mary McCreary". Supersoulsister.blogspot.com. August 2009.
  2. "Launch of Luminar Records". Billboard. September 20, 1980.
  3. Daniels, Kysa (March 2010). "Gentry McCreary Autobiography". Levitical Praise Productions. Archived from the original on 2010-08-24.
  4. "Director At Benson Records". Billboard. Oct 2, 1982.
  5. "Launch Of Onyx Records". Billboard. Jan 23, 1982.
  6. "Richard Smallwood Song Of The Year". Billboard. March 9, 1985.
  7. "Bishop Paul S. Morton's Greatest Hits". Christian Sonic. March 2010.
  8. "Launch Of Plumbline Records". Billboard. Oct 19, 1985.
  9. "Gentry McCreary Presents". Billboard. Jan 7, 1995.
  10. Gentry McCreary Producer Of The Year. Billboard Magazine. October 3, 1981.
  11. Daniels, Kysa (March 2010). "Gentry McCreary Lifetime Achievement Award". Vakita Pointdexter. Archived from the original on 2010-07-08. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
  12. Lataillade, Vicki (2008). "The Lilly Mack Pioneer Award". Lilly Mack Singalong Series.
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