Ollie McLaughlin

b. 24 March 1925, Carthage, Mississippi, USA, d. 19 February 1984. McLaughlin was a record producer whose list of credits included artists such as Del Shannon, the Capitols, Deon Jackson and jazz great Chet Baker. McLaughlin moved to Michigan in his youth and, upon graduating high school and spending time in the army, he moved to Chicago, where he became a disc jockey. With his brother Maxie, he began promoting concerts. A move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, found him promoting some of the area’s hottest jazz and R&B concerts. He produced an album by the Chet Baker Quartet, Jazz At Ann Arbor, for the Pacific Jazz label. Dave Brubeck’s Jazz Goes To College was recorded at a McLaughlin-produced concert. By 1958, he had given up promotion, but in 1960 he heard a country band led by Charles Westover, better known as Del Shannon, and convinced the artist to allow McLaughlin to produce him. ‘Runaway’ was McLaughlin’s first major production and drew him into the business full-time. He produced other hits for Shannon, as well as ‘Hello Stranger’ by Barbara Lewis, Deon Jackson’s ‘Love Makes The World Go Round’, the Capitols’ ‘Cool Jerk’ and others. He remained active until his death in 1984, but had no other major hits after the 60s.