APRIL 21

HAPPY 75TH ANNIVERSARY E.M.I.!
April 21, 1931: The Gramophone Company Ltd and The Columbia Gramophone Company Ltd merge and register a holding company - "Electric and Musical Industries Ltd". Alfred Clark (The Gramophone Company) becomes Chairman, and Louis Sterling (The Columbia Company) becomes Managing Director.
In 1955 E.M.I., under the helm of then managing director Joseph Lockwood (later chairman Sir Joseph Lockwood), bought controling interest in Capitol Records for $3 million dollars, and Glenn Wallichs joined the board of E.M.I.. Lockwood was criticized for paying so much but, within 4 years, Capitol would be worth an estimated $85 million.
The E.M.I. Group's website has a good history section.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRA LOUVIN!
Ira Louvin of the Louvin Brothers was born April 21, 1924. Ira, recorded Gospel and Country hits with his brother Charlie, and as a solo artist, for Capitol. Ira would later be killed in an auto accident in Williamsburg, Missouri while on tour with his wife, Anne Young, on June 20, 1965.
Ira was inducted with his brother into the Alabama Hall of Fame in 1991 with a Lifework Award for Performaning Achievement. They have a great biography of the brothers on their website.

MEL BLANC ENTERS THE STUDIO
On April 21, 1949, Mel Blanc starts recording tracks for the Capitol Record Reader "Bugs Bunny In Storyland" and will finish the next day. The sessions are produced by Alan Livingston, with music by Billy May. The story is by Tedd Pierce and Warren Foster with illustrations for the attached booklet by Robert McKimson and Richard Thomas. Also on the record, but uncredited, were Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd) and June Foray.
Jack Tatay maintains a great site about all the Capitol childrens records with Warner Brothers cartoon characters, with lots of images and sound clips.