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- Denny Bruce (born in 1944 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is an American record producer and artist manager. While living in Los Angeles in 1965 Denny was hired by Frank Zappa as a second drummer with The Mothers of Invention. After 6 months he contracted mononucleosis and was forced to leave the group. He was replaced by Billy Mundi. Bruce launched a career in artist management and record production with his first artist signed, Lisa Kindred, and soon added Magic Sam, Albert Collins and Earl Hooker. He later became A&R consultant to Blue Thumb Records, working with such artists as Ike and Tina Turner, Charlie Musselwhite, and Robbie Basho. After the death of Magic Sam in 1969, Bruce worked as Tour Manager of Buffy Sainte-Marie. He formed a production company with Jack Nitzsche and songwriter Gerry Goffin. They worked out of Goffin's new Larabee Studios in West Hollywood. While working for Vanguard Records he started producing John Fahey and through Fahey and his label, Takoma Records, he began his management and producer's relationship with Leo Kottke. He produced all seven albums for Kottke on Capitol Records. He later teamed up with Chrysalis Records in 1979 to purchase Fahey's Takoma Records. Denny brought Jon Monday into the company to continue as General Manager. Monday had been with Takoma since 1970, and was their first full-time employee. Denny signed and produced The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and signed T-Bone Burnett, Charles Bukowski, and other notable artists to the new Takoma label. In 1984 he managed "The Blasters" who released the album "Hard Line" on Slash/Warner Bros., as well as the Gun Club. He served as pop music consultant to UCLA's Department of Fine Arts as well as at the Austin Performing Arts Center in Austin, Texas. In 2000, Denny and Bill Coben launched Benchmark Recordings with the original four The Fabulous Thunderbirds albums and a live album by Mike Bloomfield. In 2008 Denny retired as president and the company brought in long-time friend of the founders, Jon Monday, to run the label. The company is now co-owned by Denny, Bill Coben and Jon Monday. (en)
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