No single building in America has come to represent the American music industry better than the Brill Building in New York City. But how did an office building meant to be the tallest in the world become the 11-story home to most of America's most talented musicians and industry professionals? This is the story of how, and why, the vast majority of chart hits from America and beyond came from a single address in Midtown, Manhattan.

Join New York Adventure Club for the second of a two-part series surrounding the world-famous Brill Building, an office building at 1619 Broadway in New York City that became the center of the American music industry's songwriters, music publishers, agents, and managers ever since its completion in November of 1930.

Led by award-winning author Will Friedwald, our part II deep dive into the incredible legacy of the Brill Building — which will focus on the 1950s to 1970s — will include:

• A discussion around the glory years of the Brill and its brother building at 1650 Broadway, where the vast majority of American rock, pop, and doo-wop hits emanated from
• The legendary songwriters, publishers, and producers — like Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Don Kirshner, and Don Costa — who ran vast musical empires and produced the hits that set young America's toes a-tappin'!
• The Brill newcomers who launched imposing careers from the upper floors at both 1619 & 1650 Broadway, most famously: Carole King & Gerry Goffin, Neal Sedaka, and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weill
• The larger-than-life characters who made the Brill Building their home, such as the legendary Doc Pomus, who started his career as a disabled Jewish blues shouter and went on to become one of the foremost writers of top ten hits in the early rock era
• The great groups and artists who depended on the Brill for the songs that made the whole world sing, from Elvis Presley to the Four Seasons to dozens of girl groups
• The end of an era, when the Brill Building was overshadowed first by invading Britons and then by the folky singer-songwriters of the 1970s — none more so than Bob Dylan, whom Doc Pomus once described as "the boy wonder who brought down the Brill Building"

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Will — any and all questions about the Brill Building are welcomed and encouraged!

Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually!

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration.

***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

About Will

Will Friedwald is a featured arts writer for The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair, and the award-winning author of ten books on music and popular culture, including the new Straighten Up and Fly Right: The Life and Music of Nat King Cole, as well as A Biographical Guide To The Great Jazz And Pop Singers, Sinatra: The Song Is You, Stardust Melodies, Tony Bennett: The Good Life, Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies, and Jazz Singing. He has written over 600 liner notes for compact discs, received ten Grammy nominations, and appears frequently on television and other documentaries. He is also a consultant and curator for Apple Music.

The Brill Building Series

Part I: Jazz, Hollywood, & Big Band Years (1930-1950)

Part II: The Rock & Pop Years (1950-1970)

Testimonials

"Fresh information and a greater perspective on the cultural history of that time period." -Mary Ann

"Will’s knowledge and enthusiasm is contagious. So much fun!" -Steven

"Hilarious stories. great clips, good humor by presenter." -Sharon

"Great presentation in the main window, and wonderful discussion amongst the audience in the chat window." -Ken

"Great clips, history, photos, other illustrations." -Linda

"Will was excellent! I laughed out loud several times with his insights! Loved the insider stories!" -Colleen

"Presentation was very well organized. Particularly enjoyed the videos that were included." -Wendy

"Lots of detailed information and also videos" -Peter

"You don’t typically get the full picture of all the aspects of a physical location like the Brill Building. It was great to hear about the owners, the architect, the various types of tenants, etc." -Keith

"Learned about things I never knew before. Loved the video clips!" -Michele

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Main Photo: The Brill Building Sound ( 4 CD Set) Vol 1

Categories: Arts, Historic Sites, Virtual