Mel Cheren
1933-2007

by Terry Matthew | Published January 2008 | Features Archives

A dynamic force in the history as well as the future of dance music, Mel Cheren passed away on December 7th, 2007 in New York City. He was born in Everett, Massachusetts in 1933 - and you will never meet another man who packed more life into the 74 years in between.

Mel was the co-founder of West End Records, formed in 1976. He had already done enough at this point to ensure his place in music history, for it was at his previous job with Scepter Records that Mel pioneered the use of 12 inch records and instrumental B-sides on singles - both of which helped usher in the era of the DJ. At West End, Mel released many of the seminal tracks in the history of underground disco, notably Taana Gardner's "Heartbeat".

A year after founding West End, Mel financed his companion Michael Brody's new venture - a club called the Paradise Garage. West End releases became staples of the club and underground disco culture.

Mel was also an activist at the forefront of responding to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. He opened his home to the Gay Mens Health Crisis organization in 1982, and in 1987 founded 24 Hours For Life, a non-profit that raised funds for AIDS-related causes. Mel was also an accomplished painter; five of his album covers were nominated for Grammy Awards.

In 1998, Mel regained control of the West End Records imprint. The label was rejuvenated in 2002 when DJ and producer Kevin Hedge became Mel's business partner. The Godfather of Disco, a documentary based on Mel's memoirs, was released in 2006; its first screening in Chicago took place only in the Fall of 2007.

"Mel Cheren was an incredible human being, an amazing mentor, and the kind of man whose passion inspires other men to pursue what truly impassions them," West End label manager Adam Cruz told us in a statement. "It's true what Mel always said; nothing happens by accident. I believe that it wasn't an accident that he and I crossed paths and ended up working so closely together. It has been my honor and I am completely devastated at the loss of a true pioneer.

"Most of all, though, I'm going to miss my friend."

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