Carolina Alumni Review - July/August 2008

Opposite page, saxophonists Ornette Coleman, top, and Gerry Mulligan. “Ornette changed my life,” Snyder said. “His way of thinking and living deeply influenced me and still does today.”

those members of the orchestra,’ and I couldn’t believe it. Morris was from

Philadelphia and was a music fanatic. I begged him to tell me about the orchestra and the musicians he knew. Morris then convinced me to go to law school there. He told me, ‘We need more people with diverse interests like you.’ I said, ‘You mean, you need more weirdos,’ and he said, ‘Yes, we need more weirdos.’”

Snyder struggled through law school, his mind still occupied by music. During his third year in 1973, he consulted the Mar-tindale-Hubble directory of lawyers, and he wrote letters to many entertainment lawyers in New York. He also wrote a letter to the legendary record producer Creed Taylor, who had produced some of Snyder’s favorite records — by Stan Getz, Kenny Burrell, Phil Woods and Wes Montgomery. Taylor responded with a letter inviting Snyder to contact him if he ever

visited New York. Snyder went to New York to interview with several entertainment law firms, and he set up a meeting with Taylor, too.

“I went to see Creed on the 27th floor of Number One Rockefeller Plaza, and it was awesome. The waiting room was all black — black shag carpets, black furniture, black walls and ceiling. It was incredible. There weren’t any doors either. It was wide open. Creed had beautiful stereo equipment in his office, and he had silk, padded walls. His table was marble, and it sat on a pedestal. It was stunning. I thought offices were square and had square desks with lamps. I didn’t know you could work in a place like that.”

Taylor offered Snyder a job on the spot. “Here was a guy fresh out of law school who also had a very sophisticated understanding of music,” Taylor said. “Artists are often very impractical, and it is unique to find someone who can fit the subjective side of the artist into a business practice. John is very good at working with both sides.”

Snyder started by helping with legal issues related to Taylor’s publishing business,

but soon he began helping in other areas of
the business; manufacturing of records, dis-
tribution, licensing, mar-
keting and artistic produc-
tion. “I learned every
aspect of the business at
the very highest level
while I was still in my
mid-20s,” Snyder said.

‘Here was
a guy fresh out
of law school
who also had a
very sophisticated
understanding
of music. Artists
are often very
impractical, and
it is unique to
find someone
who can fit the
subjective side of
the artist into a
business practice.
John is very
good at working
with both sides.’

Above, the legendary Etta James, for whom Snyder produced the Grammy Award-winning “Mystery Lady,” at right. It sold 250,000 copies.

The loser in the family

But Snyder also learned that the music business is fickle. Taylor sold his company to Motown, and

Snyder was out of a job. Another legendary producer, John Hammond, got Snyder a job at Columbia and then at A&M, where Snyder became close friends with Herb Alpert and Ornette Coleman.

“Ornette changed my life,” Snyder said of the pioneering saxophonist. “I became an acolyte of Ornette’s. His way of thinking and living deeply influenced me and still does today. He was a visionary and a humanitarian. He’d pick up a drunk on the street and give him a place to stay.”