Un-D-Nyable Entertainment
Encyclopedia
Un-D-Nyable Entertainment is a record label
founded by Frank Thomas
(“The Big Hurt”), the star player and home run hitter of the Chicago White Sox
.
, leased two floors in a downtown Chicago office building that had recently been the studios for a PBS radio station, WBEZ, and equipped it with high quality industry standard recording equipment.
The first artist signed to Un-D-Nyable was Virgo Williams. Virgo was the featured vocalist on a Sony
/So So Def Records album release "So So Def Bass All Stars" that sold over 560,000 units in the US. The hit single was "My Boo
", featuring Virgo.
In 1997, Paul David Wilson
accepted an offer from Frank, to serve as President of Un-D-Nyable Entertainment. Paul agreed to run the label in partnership with Thomas.
Said Wilson,
Their initial release was a CD single entitled “3-5, The White Sox Got’em Open Up Wide,” with Frank Thomas featuring D. Stoy. Jet magazine wrote:
In June 1997, Un-D-Nyable, with Wilson, signed 15-year-old Dejah Gomez to an exclusive recording contract.
In 1998, Chicago quartet Entourage (James “Slique” Adams http://www.wikimusicguide.com/Slique, Floyd Massey, Eric "Papi312" Wade
http://www.myspace.com/papi312 and Irone Guyton, a R&B singing group) was signed to the label, followed by rap artist Ant-Dub and STRONG, an R&B group that was a family of five brothers.
In late 1998, Wilson and Thomas produced the debut CD for Dejah Gomez (“Dejah”)http://www.answers.com/topic/dejah-1998-album-by-dejah and Entourage (“The Fall Backs of a Playa”) http://new.music.yahoo.com/singleVideo/?vid=2150397 http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/Entourage/When--2150396;_ylt=AqiE6OVWT8569Eu02ik.D_7esyUv and matching videos for the CD songs and a CD single title “I Can’t Hide” featuring STRONG. In December, a single “When,” by Entourage, they charted on Billboard
. Soon, both Dejah and Entourage were starting to “take off,” but, in January 1999, just as the action and excitement was building for his young record company, Wilson suffered a stroke
. Thomas subsequently did not renew Wilson's contract.
"Frank's vision always was for Un-D-Nyable to have a street hip-hop kind of a vibe," Regina Daniel, a publicist who has represented Un-D-Nyable. "Where Paul was leading it was not necessarily where Frank's vision was." Danielle Dickerson, Promotions Manager of the label, she said "the company's problems had more to do with the inherent difficulty of competing against the major companies than any failure by Un-D-Nyable." On June 25, 1999, the main office were closed due to poor record sales and lack of funding. Three months later in September, 1999 the studio equipment was sold and the Un-D-Nyable Recording studio was closed.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
founded by Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas (AL baseball player)
Frank Edward Thomas, Jr. , nicknamed "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman....
(“The Big Hurt”), the star player and home run hitter of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
Label history
In the fall of 1996, after funding the development of a number of producers in Atlanta for roughly three years, Frank felt it was time to move things to the next level. He moved the producers to ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, leased two floors in a downtown Chicago office building that had recently been the studios for a PBS radio station, WBEZ, and equipped it with high quality industry standard recording equipment.
The first artist signed to Un-D-Nyable was Virgo Williams. Virgo was the featured vocalist on a Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
/So So Def Records album release "So So Def Bass All Stars" that sold over 560,000 units in the US. The hit single was "My Boo
My Boo
My Boo may refer to:*"My Boo" , 1996*"My Boo" , 2000*"My Boo" , 2004*"My Boo", a 2008 song by Girlicious, from the album Girlicious...
", featuring Virgo.
In 1997, Paul David Wilson
Paul David Wilson
Paul David Wilson is a songwriter, composer, conductor, and music producer. Most of his professional life has been devoted to music, including composing for radio and TV commercials, he was became the president of a start-up record label begun by Frank Thomas, who was then the starring player on...
accepted an offer from Frank, to serve as President of Un-D-Nyable Entertainment. Paul agreed to run the label in partnership with Thomas.
Said Wilson,
Their initial release was a CD single entitled “3-5, The White Sox Got’em Open Up Wide,” with Frank Thomas featuring D. Stoy. Jet magazine wrote:
In June 1997, Un-D-Nyable, with Wilson, signed 15-year-old Dejah Gomez to an exclusive recording contract.
In 1998, Chicago quartet Entourage (James “Slique” Adams http://www.wikimusicguide.com/Slique, Floyd Massey, Eric "Papi312" Wade
http://www.myspace.com/papi312 and Irone Guyton, a R&B singing group) was signed to the label, followed by rap artist Ant-Dub and STRONG, an R&B group that was a family of five brothers.
In late 1998, Wilson and Thomas produced the debut CD for Dejah Gomez (“Dejah”)http://www.answers.com/topic/dejah-1998-album-by-dejah and Entourage (“The Fall Backs of a Playa”) http://new.music.yahoo.com/singleVideo/?vid=2150397 http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/Entourage/When--2150396;_ylt=AqiE6OVWT8569Eu02ik.D_7esyUv and matching videos for the CD songs and a CD single title “I Can’t Hide” featuring STRONG. In December, a single “When,” by Entourage, they charted on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. Soon, both Dejah and Entourage were starting to “take off,” but, in January 1999, just as the action and excitement was building for his young record company, Wilson suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Thomas subsequently did not renew Wilson's contract.
"Frank's vision always was for Un-D-Nyable to have a street hip-hop kind of a vibe," Regina Daniel, a publicist who has represented Un-D-Nyable. "Where Paul was leading it was not necessarily where Frank's vision was." Danielle Dickerson, Promotions Manager of the label, she said "the company's problems had more to do with the inherent difficulty of competing against the major companies than any failure by Un-D-Nyable." On June 25, 1999, the main office were closed due to poor record sales and lack of funding. Three months later in September, 1999 the studio equipment was sold and the Un-D-Nyable Recording studio was closed.
Albums
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Dejah | Dejah |
| 1998 | The Fall Backs of a Playa | Entourage |
| 1999 | STRONG | STRONG |
Singles
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 3-5, The White Sox Got’em Open Up Wide | Frank Thomas Frank Thomas (AL baseball player) Frank Edward Thomas, Jr. , nicknamed "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman.... featuring D. Stoy |
| 1998 | Just A Lil’ But | Dejah |
| 1998 | Page Me | Entourage |
| 1998 | Krazy | Dejah |
| 1998 | When | Entourage |
| 1999 | I Can’t Hide | STRONG |
| 1999 | Mi Amiga | STRONG |
Officers and employees
| Name | Title and Position |
|---|---|
| Frank Thomas Frank Thomas (AL baseball player) Frank Edward Thomas, Jr. , nicknamed "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman.... |
CEO |
| Paul David Wilson Paul David Wilson Paul David Wilson is a songwriter, composer, conductor, and music producer. Most of his professional life has been devoted to music, including composing for radio and TV commercials, he was became the president of a start-up record label begun by Frank Thomas, who was then the starring player on... |
President |
| Eadka Antoine | Administrative Assistant |
| Jun Mhoon | VP, General Manager |
| Maurice White | VP of Promotions |
| Rhonda Nolen | Sr. Director of Sales & Marketing |
| Dawn Richards | Director of Finance/Royalty Accounts |
| Cleo Powell | Director of A&R |
| Trudi Gentry | Creative and Product Manager |
| Danielle Dickerson | Promotions Manager |
| Jonathan Smith | Studio Manager |
| George Claiborne | Staff Producer |
| Earl Powell | Staff Producer |
| Jack Williams | Staff Producer |
| Anita Luckett | Personal Manager, Dejah Gomez |
| Shiela Henley | Intern |
| Duerell Jones | Coordinator of College Radio & Promotions |