Background
Sehorn, Marshall Estus was born on June 25, 1934 in Concord, North Carolina, United States. Son of William Thomas and Bertha (Mesmer) Sehorn.
artist entrepreneur songwriter record producer music producer
Sehorn, Marshall Estus was born on June 25, 1934 in Concord, North Carolina, United States. Son of William Thomas and Bertha (Mesmer) Sehorn.
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, North Carolina State College, 1957.
After graduating, he moved to New York City in 1958, and joined the A&R staff at Bobby Robinson"s Fury and Fire record labels as their Southern promotions executive. He soon discovered singer Wilbert Harrison, whose recording of the Leiber and Stoller song "Kansas City" topped the United States popular and Rhythm & Blues charts in 1959. The following year he secured another chart-topper for the Fire label, when he signed flamboyant New Orleans singer Bobby Marchan, who had a hit with "There"s Something on Your Mind".
He also discovered Lee Dorsey, pairing him with young songwriter and pianist Allen Toussaint, and helped secure hits for Gladys Knight and the Pips and Buster Brown.
He ran sessions for the Fire and Fury labels in New Orleans, until the labels collapsed in 1963. He was credited as co-writer on many recordings including "One Way Out", which is usually credited to Sehorn and Elmore James.
Sehorn remained in New Orleans after the labels folded, and set up his own music publishing company, Rhinelander Music. He persuaded Toussaint to write new material for Lee Dorsey, which included "Ride Your Pony" and "Working in the Coal Mine", both of which became international hits.
With Toussaint, he founded the Sansu record label, and signed singer Betty Harris.
Harris" records for the label, including "Nearer To You", were among the first to feature the label"s house band, who became The Meters. By the late 1960s, Sehorn and Toussaint had become "the most influential music-makers in New Orleans", and built the Sea-Saint recording studio in Gentilly. There they recorded such musicians as Doctor John, The Neville Brothers, and Labelle, whose "Lady Marmalade" was the studio"s biggest hit.
The studio also attracted Paul McCartney, whose 1975 Wings album Venus and Mars was largely recorded there.
Sehorn died in New Orleans of a respiratory disease in 2006, at the age of 72.
Member of Bass Anglers American (New Orleans) (life).
Married Barbara Ann Darcy, May 11, 1974.