General Amusement Corporation (GAC) was an international
talent booking agency that was acquired by
ICM Partners
ICM Partners is a talent and literary agency with offices in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C. and London. ICM (International Creative Management) Partners represents clients in the fields of motion pictures, television, music, publi ...
in 1974. In the 1940s, GAC's name was changed to General Artists Corporation to avoid confusion with a registered coin-machine company. General Artists Corporation, through a series of acquisitions and mergers, evolved first into a larger agency called Creative Management Associates, and then, in 1974, into ICM Partners.
GAC was founded in the early 1930s as a partnership between Thomas G. Rockwell (–1958) and Francis "Cork" O'Keefe (1900–1990). It was called the Rockwell-O'Keefe Theatrical Agency. Their clients, then, included
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
and the newly formed
Dorsey Brothers
The Dorsey Brothers were an American studio dance band, led by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. They started recording in 1928 for OKeh Records.
History
The Dorsey Brothers recorded songs for the dime store labels (Banner, Cameo, Domino, Jewel, Oriole, ...
band. In 1939, when O'Keefe retired, Rockwell reorganized the firm and changed the name to General Amusement Corporation. In the 1940s, the only larger booking firm was
Music Corporation of America
MCA Inc. (originally an initialism for Music Corporation of America) was an American media conglomerate founded in 1924. Originally a talent agency with artists in the music business as clients, the company became a major force in the film ind ...
(MCA).
[Malcolm Macfarlane (born 1942) & Ken Crossland, ''Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record'', p. 28, McFarland & Co. (2009) ]
References
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Companies based in Los Angeles
Talent and literary agencies
Companies established in the 1930s