Morris Diamond

Morris Diamond sat down with us for his NAMM Oral History interview at the age of 97 and recalled his career in music which started when he was 15 years old. He was hired to be the “band boy” for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra one month after the famous bandleader hired a then unknown singer by the name of Frank Sinatra. Taking care of the instruments and helping with arrangements for the band gained the attention of Mr. Dorsey who offered Morris a job after World War II in his music publishing company. Throughout his career, Morris has been involved with music publishing starting out as a song plugger and later owning his own publishing company along with his own record company, Beverly Hills Records. His fascinating career and lifelong friendships with many top artists gave way to the idea of writing his own book. The Name Dropper or People I Schlepped With was published in 2011 and recounts his musical experiences with everyone from Peggy Lee to Michael Jackson.