By Kathy Matheson
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --A man rescued from a fire at a renowned R&B record company had been using a lighter to see inside the building, which he entered while possibly intoxicated, police said Wednesday in charging him with arson.
Police said Christopher Cimini, 27, apparently believed he was someplace else and was seen trying a set of keys before kicking in the door of Philadelphia International Records, the home of musicians including Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, Lou Rawls and the O’Jays.
Fire, smoke and water damage from last weekend’s blaze ruined 40 percent of the company’s memorabilia, though the recording studio was largely spared, label co-founder Kenneth Gamble said Wednesday.
“When I walked through it the other day, it was like an old friend had died,” Gamble said. “I’m looking for the resurrection. Bottom line is we’ll be back.”
Cimini is charged with arson, risking or causing a catastrophe, burglary, criminal trespass and other crimes in the Sunday morning blaze. Cimini, who turned himself in accompanied by his attorney, remained in custody, and a listed telephone number for him could not be found Wednesday night.
Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said Cimini “appeared to be extremely intoxicated or under the influence of something” on surveillance video.
Cimini began walking through the building using a lighter to see and ended up in a closet storing memorabilia, where the blaze started, Vanore said.
“He actually was calling for help out of there, and that’s when they rescued him,” he said.
The fire damaged gold and platinum records and the company’s personal inventory of CDs by Michael Jackson and the Jacksons, Pendergrass, Rawls and LaBelle, Gamble said.
Gamble’s partner, Leon Huff, said, “We’ll bounce back. We wrote the song – ‘Only the Strong Survive.'”
Gamble, 66, Huff, 67, and fellow Philadelphia producer Thom Bell are credited with creating the lush acoustics of 1960s and ’70s soul music that came to be known as the Sound of Philadelphia. Gamble and Huff’s songs include the O’Jays’ “Love Train,” Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones” and McFadden & Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.”
Many of their biggest hits continue to resonate in popular culture through remakes and commercial licensing.
The duo won a Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1989 for Simply Red’s version of “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” which was originally performed by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. The O’Jays’ “For the Love of Money” is the theme song for Donald Trump’s TV show “The Apprentice.”
Before Gamble and Huff bought the three-story brick building in 1970, it was home to Cameo Parkway Records, where Chubby Checker recorded “The Twist” and Dee Dee Sharp, Gamble’s first wife, recorded “Mashed Potato Time.”
Today, the building primarily serves as the licensing arm of Philadelphia International Records, which hosts tour groups and offers a small gift shop. An art store also occupies space on the ground floor.
LaBelle, who recorded the gold album “I’m In Love Again” for the label in 1983, said in an interview Wednesday that she is still close to Gamble and Huff. Hearing about the fire was devastating, she said.
“It was like a big piece of them was taken away,” LaBelle said. “I just felt awful for them.”
Gamble and Huff were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
Associated Press writer Ron Todt in Philadelphia and entertainment producer Mesfin Fekadu in New York contributed to this report.
On the net: Philadelphia International Records: http://www.gamble-huffmusic.com
Nikki Baker Becomes CEO At Fallon
Fallon has appointed Nikki Baker as its new CEO. Baker, who joined the creative agency in 2018 and has served as co-chief creative officer with Leslie Shaffer since 2021, succeeds Rocky Novak, who has been in the role since 2019.
Baker’s promotion to CEO comes at a time of significant momentum for the agency, including six consecutive years of growth and award-winning work.
Baker’s recent career highlights include creatively leading the Walmart partnership with the Publicis Groupe team and spearheading innovative campaigns such as the award-winning “RomCommerce” 23-episodic series and the internet-breaking Mean Girls campaign, among hundreds of other campaigns together with the brand over the past few years. Together with Shaffer, Baker has also been instrumental in elevating Fallon’s creative output for longstanding clients like Arby’s, Mattress Firm, and Front Door/American Home Shield.
“I’ve always been an admirer of Fallon, even before I joined. The chance to lead the agency is an absolute honor. Fallon is a place like no other with amazing talent and a legacy of building big, innovative, creative ideas,” said Baker. “Rocky has represented the best of Fallon. He’s been a great leader, and I couldn’t be more excited to take the reins and lead the agency through to the next chapter. With creativity at our core, we’re going to be as ambitious as ever, push boundaries, and continue embracing emerging platforms to deliver work that truly resonates in culture.”
Prior to joining Fallon six years ago, Baker held positions as creative director and art director at agencies including DDB and GSD&M, working with major brands such as McDonald’s, Southwest Airlines, and Wrigley. Her work has been recognized by... Read More