|
 It
was January 1957, on a cold, clear night in Gary, Ind., when Henry Farag,
BA'69, first heard the sweet sounds of doo-wop. After weeks of fiddling and
tweaking, the 11 year-old finally picked up a signal on the crystal radio set
he received for Christmas.
What he heard was "Oh What a Night" by the Dells, broadcast on radio station
WWCA. It was through that first transmission that Farag began a lifelong love
affair with rock 'n' roll, particularly doo-wop, a vocal group style that
stresses rhythm and harmony. Farag terms it "urban folk music." His favorite
group was the Spaniels, led by singer Pookie Hudson, with whom Farag has
enjoyed a continuing friendship and occasional business and music
collaborations.
"That music was the true beginnings of rock 'n' roll," he says. "The real
precursors of rock 'n' roll were those vocal groups."
That fateful night also pointed Farag toward a career in the music business.
After several early disasters and a few years of red ink, he went on to start
Canterbury Productions, through which he has produced more than 1,000
concerts, many featuring his beloved doo-wop groups. Based in Merrillville,
Ind., he also owns Street Gold Records, a record production and distribution
company, as well as Farag Music BMI, a music publishing firm.
In addition to concerts, Farag has produced four nationally syndicated
television specials, and he also leads the a cappella vocal group Stormy
Weather. Most recently, he authored a 144-page book called The Signal: A
Doo-Wop Rhapsody. It was published by IU Northwest as part of its' "Steel
Shavings" series, with support from IUN history professors James Lane and
Ronald Cohen. Farag graduated from IUN.
"It's the story of one person and the effect of a radio wave on his life,"
Farag says of the book. "I really don't look at this as a culture study of
northwest Indiana."
Farag has accomplished all of this as a hobby. His other love is running a
private-investigation business, which kept him and his family afloat
financially during his first shaky years of music production.
Farag grew up in Gary as one of 11 children of a devoted Catholic mother and a
father who emigrated from Egypt and spent his life toiling in a steel mill.
The Farags always struggled to make ends meet, but the family has made
education a priority. In fact, seven of his siblings, one son, a
sister-in-law, and two nieces have all earned IU degrees.
On a personal level, Farag says he is proudest of his three sons: Christopher,
BA'98, Andy, and Ryan. Professionally, his biggest thrill came when Stormy
Weather performed live on "Voice of America." He also lists as a high point
working with the original lead singers of the Temptations -- Eddie Kendricks,
David Ruffin, and Dennis Edwards -- for a TV special.
"It's been exhilarating," he says of his career, "and I don't just mean the
highs, but the lows, too. The exhilaration of the music business, the creative
art, being able to do what you love is just that -- exhilarating."
Indiana Alumni Magazine, November/December 2002,
Author -- Ryan Whirty |
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