Bill Holford

Bill Holford
Bill Holford at ACA Studios, early 1960s
Bill Holford at ACA Studios, early 1960s
Background information
Born(1919-06-12)June 12, 1919
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, US
DiedMarch 22, 1999(1999-03-22) (aged 79)
Houston, Texas, US
GenresCajun, country, hillbilly, rockabilly, R&B, gospel, humor
Occupation(s)Recording engineer, record producer
Years active1948-1995
LabelsStarday Records, Mercury Records, Bellaire Records, Sarg Records
Formerly ofAudio Company of America

William Dwight Holford, Sr. (June 12, 1919, Bartlesville, Oklahoma – March 22, 1999, Houston, Texas) was an American recording engineer and record producer. For 44 of those years, from 1948 to 1982, he was the affiliated with ACA Studios (Audio Company of America) in Houston as an owner, partner, and audio engineer.[1][2][3] Holford also helped build studios for several labels, including Duke/Peacock, Starday, Sarg Records, and Trumpet Records.[4]

ACA Studios

ACA was one of the earliest multi-track analog recording studios in the country.

ACA recording artists

Labels that recorded at ACA

Filmography

ACA audio engineers and staff

  • Kay Holford (Kathleen Assaf Holford, Bill's wife) had significant managerial responsibilities for the entire life of ACA Studios.
  • Hank Lam: 1968–1972; engineer
  • George Holsomback; born 1947, engineer from 1973 – 1974, chief engineer 1974–1978.
  • Andy Bradley (born Andrew M. Bradley; 1951), audio engineer
  • Sonny Ray Stolz (born Rae Roy Stolz; 1946), audio engineer and editor, among other things, helped Holford move from ACA's temporary location at Savoy Drive in Houston into the acquired defunct studios of Jimmy Duncan's Soundville at 8208 Westpark, Houston. Soundville Studios was a division of Jimmy Duncan Productions, Inc. Stolz worked for ACA from the summer of 1972 until early 1973.[27]
  • Bill Holford, jr.

References

  1. ^ Obituary: Holford, William Dwight "Bill"; 79, Houston Chronicle, March 24, 1999; reprinted in AAFA Action (genealogical journal), Alford American Family Association (Fall 1999), Vol 12, Issue 2, p. 45 ISSN 1082-3212
  2. ^ House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios, Andy Bradley and Charles Roger Wood, University of Texas Press (2010) OCLC 610030219
  3. ^ Recording Industry, by Gary S. Hickinbotham (born 1950), Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association
  4. ^ "A History of the Texas Recording Industry" (PDF). Gato-docs.its.txstate.edu. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  5. ^ a b [1] [dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Majestic |". Bopping.org. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  7. ^ John Nova Lomax (6 November 2014). "Roll Over, Ike Turner". Texasmonthly.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Harry (Jole Blon) Choates And His Fiddle – Gra Mamou (Big Mamou) / Catn' Around (1950, Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  9. ^ "49.99 USD: Rare Tsu Jazz Band Funk Texas Southern University Anita Moore &". Valueyourmusic.com.
  10. ^ "Illustrated David 'Honeyboy' Edwards discography". Wirz.de.
  11. ^ "Five Blind Boys of Mississippi – Old Ship of Zion / In This World Alone (Shellac)". Discogs.
  12. ^ "78 Record: Clarence Garlow - Bon Ton Roula (1950)". 45cat.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Mickey Gilley - Slippin' And Slidin' (Peepin' And Hidin')". 45cat.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  14. ^ "78 Record: Rosco Gordon - Rosco's Mambo (1953)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Smokey Hogg – Worried Blues / Misery Blues (1950, Vinyl)". Discogs.
  16. ^ America, Audio Company of. "Audio Company of America, Master Book, 1953-1954". Digitalcollections.lib.uh.edu. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  17. ^ Bradley, Andy; Wood, Roger (March 2010). House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios. University of Texas Press. ISBN 9780292783249.
  18. ^ "Frankie Miller". Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  19. ^ "Willie Nelson - Night Life". 45cat.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Willie Nelson - Texas Willie - Extended Liner Notes by Bill Dahl". Sunsetblvrecords.com. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Eddie Noack "Wanderin' Oakie"". Bopping.org. 11 October 2010.
  22. ^ "Little Junior Parker - Driving Me Mad". 45cat.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton – Hound Dog (1964, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  24. ^ "A History of the Texas Recording Industry" (PDF). Gato-docs.its.txstate.edu. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  25. ^ "Hop Wilson liner notes" (PDF). Sundayblues.org. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  26. ^ The Starday Story: The House that Country Music Built, by Nathan D. Gibson & Don Pierce, University Press of Mississippi (2011), pg. 44 OCLC 729969854, 713030310, 816834818
  27. ^ Oral History snippet, ACA, Sonny Ray Stolz (né Rae Roy Stolz; born 1946), self-published, Houston, August 21, 2013