George Paxton

George Paxton
Born	(1914-03-24) 24 March 1914 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Died	19 April 1989(1989-04-19) (aged 75)
Occupation(s)	Bandleader, saxophonist, arranger, music publisher, record producer
Years active	1930s–1960s
Known for	President of Coed Records; leader of George Paxton and His Orchestra

George Paxton (March 24, 1914 – April 19, 1989) was a prominent American bandleader, saxophonist, arranger, and music publisher active during the 1930s and 1940s. He held the position of president at Coed Records and was the primary producer for the label.

Early career

Paxton was born in Jacksonville, Florida and grew up in Kearny, New Jersey. He began playing the saxophone at a young age and drew inspiration from Isham Jones. He pursued formal music education at the Juilliard School. In 1933, while still attending high school, he assembled a six-piece band featuring Tony Mottola and Herbie Haymer. The group eventually relocated to New York City, where Paxton contributed arrangements for bandleader Frank Dailey.

During the late 1930s, Paxton became part of George Hall's Orchestra as both arranger and tenor saxophonist, facilitating the addition of guitarist Tony Mottola to the ensemble. His collaborations included working alongside pianist Johnny Guarnieri and drummer Nick Fatool. Paxton also crafted arrangements for Dolly Dawn and Her Dawn Patrol. In the early 1940s, his arranging work extended to prominent artists such as Bunny Berigan, Bea Wain, Charlie Spivak (with associates Sonny Burke and Nelson Riddle), Ina Ray Hutton, Vaughn Monroe, and Sammy Kaye.

George Paxton and His Orchestra

Following extensive experience performing and leading various ensembles in New York City, Paxton established his own orchestra in 1944. The ensemble quickly garnered local acclaim, securing a ten-week residency at the Roseland Ballroom that ultimately lasted an entire year. Their exposure was further amplified by live radio broadcasts. By 1945, George Paxton and His Orchestra embarked on an East Coast tour featuring vocalists such as Alan Dale, Liza Morrow, Dick Merrick, and Gene Williams. Key instrumentalists included trumpeter Guy Key, saxophonist Boomie Richman, pianist Andrew Ackers, among others. Their main recording label was Majestic, with additional releases on Guild, Hit, and MGM. Paxton’s notable compositions and arrangements comprised "Paxonia," "All of Me," "Streamliner," and "I'm Gonna See My Baby."

George Paxton, Inc.

In 1949, Paxton took on the role of director for the house orchestra at The Capitol Theater in New York City. During this period, he founded a music publishing firm named George Paxton, Inc. Among its early achievements was the publication of "There's No Tomorrow," which became a successful recording for Tony Martin.

Coed Records

In 1958, George Paxton partnered with Marvin Cane to launch Coed Records, Inc. based in New York City, with offices located at 1619 Broadway within the Brill Building. Paxton produced most of the label’s output, concentrating on East Coast Doo-wop groups that scored multiple hits from 1958 through 1965. Prominent artists on the roster included the Crests, the Rivieras, the Duprees, the Harptones, and Adam Wade. Drawing from his big-band background, Paxton shaped the Duprees’ distinctive style by combining vocal harmonies with classic swing orchestration on tracks like "You Belong to Me" and "Why Don't You Believe Me." Other significant recordings featured the Crests’ "Sixteen Candles" along with their "angel series": "The Angels Listened In," "Pretty Little Angel," and "Trouble in Paradise." In April 2010, Beach Road Music, LLC acquired ownership of Coed Records’ catalogue.

Under the alias "George Eddy," Paxton co-authored songs for Coed Records including Adam Wade’s 1961 hit "The Writing on the Wall," collaborating with Sandy Baron and Mark Barkan.

Death

A news report from The Palm Beach Post dated April 22, 1989, states that George Paxton passed away on April 19, 1989, under circumstances believed to be an apparent suicide.