Ralph Peer was born in the same year as music recording business itself, and became one of greatest pioneers. To start off this career in his fathers furniture business seems to be very unusual in a world that knows music business as a huge profitable business. But in those days before WW1 records were sold along with phonographs, that were regarded as furnitures.
Though his wealthy father offered to finance a college degree he drpped out of his academical career soon, to pursue a future in music business. He started on minor job in Kansas but soon after WW1 he was called to the New York office of Okeh Records. Soon the record business was to face its first major crisis with the start of radio broadcast in 1920.With radio content being aired for free, record sales dropped. The immediate reaction of the record companies was to search the fringes of culture for new material, and it was back to province for Peer. But successful in his search he made the first commercial blues recording, discovered Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter Familoy and many more. But he also learned the rules of the business. While Pop Stoneman made $3600 with one song Peer made $250 000 with the same. But he also knew, that while recording artists come and go, copyrights remain. 43 years after his death his Peer Music Group is still alive and well....