A Cleveland legend comes back home and makes a $3 million-contribution to Cuyahoga Community College. Now, the Creative Arts Center will soon bear his name.
Grammy award winning producer Tommy LiPuma is a living musical legend and he’s giving back to the community he grew up in.
He was born and raised in Cleveland. He said he is thankful to have come full circle right back to the place where he recalls his humble start.
“As it turns out I opened a barber shop in the Keith Building, which is on 17th and Euclid, and at that time all of the stations were in that particular area Playhouse Square WERE, WEJW, WHK,” LiPuma said.
He said he discovered Charlie Parker when he was about 16 years old and instantly became a complete bee-bop fanatic.
“You had big bands coming through here too… The Palace right next to the Keith Building, all of the big bands, from Harry James, Bennie Goodman, they all came through there,” he said.
LiPuma said his life changed when one of the record distributors gave him a chance.
“I was packing records in the back room six, eight months and then he gave me a job as promotions man. I did that for about a year or so then I was asked to come to Los Angeles.”
