William G. "Bill" Hall
Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1929-1983) Music publisher William G. Hall helped start and promote the careers of dozens of musicians. Hall was raised in Beaumont’s Multimax Village and graduated from South Park High School and Lamar State College. He was considering a career in law before turning his attention to the burgeoning Texas music scene. By 1956, he was managing George Jones. Soon after, he and his friend, J.P. Richardson (“The Big Bopper”), made plans to build a recording studio and publishing company in Beaumont to promote the latter’s music. A tragic plane crash took the life of Richardson, Buddy Holly and Richie Valens on Feb. 3, 1959. Even after death, Richardson’s songs continued to be number one hits. Hall opened a small studio called Hall-Way on Magnolia Street in 1959. Hall signed young musicians like Johnny (Winter) and The Jammers and Rod Bernard. Hall invited another old friend, Jack Clement, to move to Beaumont and become business partners. Hall and Clement opened a new studio on this site at 888 Pearl Street called Gulf Coast Recording Company, as well as two music publishing companies: Hall-Clement Publishing Co. and Jack & Bill Music Co. Within six months, Gulf Coast Recording produced a million-selling record with “Patches” in May 1962. Hall and Clement continued to recruit songwriters to join their team. Dickey Lee, Allen Reynolds, Bob McDill, Jerry Foster and Bill Rice were all eventually inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Gulf Coast Recording Company recorded its last song in 1964, but Hall remained active in producing country music. Bill Hall died in April 1983 in Beaumont and was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery. In 1994, Hall was inducted into the Museum of the Gulf Coast’s Music Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was posthumously bestowed the second-ever Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award. (2020)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Beaumont-raised Bill Hall traded thoughts of a law career for the booming Texas music scene, managing George Jones by 1956 and planning a studio with his friend J. P. Richardson, 'The Big Bopper,' before Richardson died in the 1959 plane crash that also took Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Hall opened his Hall-Way studio that year and, with partner Jack Clement, built the Gulf Coast Recording Company on this site, which scored a million-selling hit with 'Patches' in 1962. The songwriters he recruited went on to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Why it matters
Hall's Beaumont studios helped funnel Gulf Coast talent into the American country and rock-and-roll mainstream, showing how regional scenes fed the national music industry.
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Related people
- · William G. "Bill" Hall
- · J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper)
- · George Jones
- · Jack Clement
Related events
- · Founding of Gulf Coast Recording Company
Themes & tags
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