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{{autobio}} This page is about Dennis K. Hardison, Music Promoter, who has promoted some of the most popular Acts in Show Business.

Born Dennis Keith Hardison, November 20, 1953 to Ira Cecil Hardison Sr. and Vera Mae Hardison in River Rouge, Michigan, is a Music Promoter best known for promoting some of the most popular Acts in show business, and for discovering new talent as well; the Rapper, Dynamo & Producer, Engineer, Triniti (Puiblic Enemy, Flavor Flav, Chuck D. Professor Griff), to name a few. His career span has covered nearly forty-years.

Contents {hide} 1. Biography 2. Early Life 3. Musical Influences 4. Career 5. Present Life 6. Personal Life 7. Reference

Early Life:

Dennis K. Hardison began his musical career in Detroit, Michigan, at the tender age of twelve, when forming his first vocal group called: "the Rotations," which was composed of his younger brother, Calvin, age-nine and Hardison's best friend, Adolph Jackson, age- thirteen. The group quickly became popular in their Southwest Detroit Community. Calvin Hardison possessed a vocal range of natural soprano, which was rare during the early 1960's, therefore; he took the role as lead-vocalist of the group.

Hardison met an older neighbor during this time, by the name of Percy Williams, who was a member of a hot group that had recently landed a national hit record on the RCA Victor Record Label, titled: “You’re the sweetest one.” The group recorded under the name of The Metros. Percy worked with Dennis Hardison, teaching him how to sing in key, and how to harmonize. Hardison learned quickly, and taught Calvin and Adolph how to harmonize. The group also displayed some dazzling choreography; and became one of the hottest young groups in the Detroit area. At the time, Hardison could have never imagined that one day; he would be promoting some of the biggest Musical Acts in R&B, Hip Hop, and Rap Music.

At age fourteen, the Hardison family moved to the Northwest of Detroit. The move broke up the group. But less than a year later, Dennis Hardison and Adolph Jackson picked up a new third member, Marc Garrett. Calvin found swimming and playing sports more appealing than the music industry, so the new group became, little Dennis & the M.C.'s, and Dennis took on the role as the new lead-singer. Nonetheless, the group was short-lived; as Jackson found it difficult finding sufficient transportation to the northwest side of Detroit for daily rehearsals. Through the years, Hardison would form many other groups along the way, until organizing his first band. He also taught himself how to play lead and bass guitars, acoustic piano and keyboards. And his most dynamic group would was composed of Hardison and his two-young-daughters; Lanise age-five & Trinette, age-six. He taught them how to harmonize, and how to step like his boyhood favorite group, The Temptations. The group would dazzle audiences over the next ten-years., as the Fabulous Hardisons eventually elavated into a self-contained band … Lanise, on drums, Trinette, on bass-guitar, and Dennis, on Lead-guitar. In the recording studio, they all played keyboards and acoustic piano on various tracks. Lanise also played alto-saxaphone, and Trinette also played drums on some tracks, along with flute and clairinet, at the ripe-young-ages of eight and nine.

Musical Influences:

It was during the mid-1960's that Dennis Hardison befriended two-neighbors on the Northwest of Detroit, and a local music promoter that elevated his career in the music business to a professional level, as a pre-teen. Both of these neighbors were members of a newly formed record label by previous Motown Producers ... Holland, Dozier, Holland, the geniuses behind the Motown hits with the Supremes and the Four Tops.

One of his neighbors, Danny Woods, had landed a huge local hit with the remake of a song titled, "To be loved,” performed by Jackie Wilson, and Written by Berry Gordy Jr., the founder of Motown Records. This local hit gave Dannt plenty of work around the Detroit area. The remake was produced by Motown Legend, Bob Babbitt and local Detroit Music Whiz, McKinley Jackson, lead singer of McKinnley Jackson and the Politicians. Danny was one of Dennis Hardison's first-mentors. Months later, Danny was a member of a newly formed group; the Chairmen of the Board under the management of Holland, Dozier, and Holland’s new Invictus Record Labels.

Hardison was Danny's rodey as a solo act; and he was now a rodey on occasion for the Chairmen of the Board, who landed a string of hit records, with Norman "General" Johnson singing the lead vocals on "Give me just a little more time," “Everything's Tuesday," "You got me dangling on a string," and a hit that Danny sang lead on, titled: "Pay to the Piper.” Danny started teaching young Hardison the business side of the music industry. Hardison accompanied Danny to every gig in the Detroit area, and was excited to be friends with a neighbor and friend whose group had become one of the most successful pop groups in the world.

Hardison also befriended another neighbor, Steve Mancha, aka, Clyde Wilson, who was a member of the Holland, Dozier, Holland Invictus and Hot Wax Record Labels, under a group called: The 100 Proof aged in Soul, who landed a national hit with "Somebody's been sleeping in my bed,” which Steve sang lead-vocals on. The song was written by General Johnson. Under Invictus Records, Steve recorded under the name of 8th day, and landed two giant hits that he wrote and produced called: "She's not just another woman," and "You've got to crawl" (Before you come back into these arms of mine). Mancha lived three-houses behind Hardison's Northwest side home. Hardison visited Steve's house regularly, after getting out for the day at Post Junior High School. Hardison learned the art of songwriting and producing from Steve Mancha. Steve taught Dennis Hardison how to edit his long –hand poetry into melodic short lyrics.

A third person Hardison befriended during this time was W.J.L.B. Radio Disc Jockey, "Ernie D" Durham, who opened a new club in Hardison's neighborhood called: Ernie D's Campus Ballroom. Hardison helped Durham pass out flyers to the live events at his clubs, and Ernie D gave Hardison free entrance into the live shows and sound checks; that featured the likes of Peaches and Herb, the Dells, the Delphonice, the Whispers and other nationally acclaimed Recording Artists. This was the flame that lit Hardison’s soul and desire to become a Music Promoter, and through Ernie D, Hardison learned the Art of Promoting shows. Ernie D was also the Public Relations' Director for disco queen, Donna Summers. Hardison learned about promotions and publicity simultaneously from Ernie Durham. When Ernie taled business with these nationally acclaimed artists, fifteen-year old, Dennis K. Hardison was listening and taking notes.

Career:

Hardison would promote his first concert at Ernie D's Campus Ballroom as a teenager, bringing a group from Syracuse, New York that he met performing at the Soul Palace Club in Toronto, Canada by the name of "the Dynamic Insiders." The group was signed to Polydor Records and served as the Godfather of Soul, James Brown's opening act, on the college circuit. Hardison would form a promotion agency in downtown Detroit at the age of twenty-one, in the David Whitney Building, suite 742 with a friend, Cortez Harris, who Hardison had known since they were 14 and 15-years of age. Cortez was now a member of a group called: Al Hudson and the Soul Partners, who had landed their first national hit record, titled: "You can do it," that also featured the sultry vocals of Alicia Meyers. The group was managed by W.J.L.B. Radio Personality, Al Perkins. The group later changed their name to One Way, and landed their biggest hit with "Cutie Pie."

In 1980, Dennis Hardison moved to Knoxville, Tennessee after promoting a string of shows and cabarets in Detroit. In Knoxville, he befriended local Palestinian businessman, George F. Saah, and the two started promoting some of the biggest acts in the music business; Freddie Jackson, New Edition, Melba Moore, Surface, M.C. Lyte, Biz Markie, Kool Moe Dee, O'Bryan, and a host of other national and international Recording Artists. As a member of the 1982 World's fair and the Folk life Festival Staff. The staff would promote some of the biggest names in popular music, the Staple Singers, Koko Taylor, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Larson and Quicksilver, the Stanley Brothers, Robert Lockwood Junior, Guitar Slim, Piano Red, Bogans And Armstrong, Johnny Shine, Harmonica Frank Floyd, and a host of other internationally acclaimed music artists. This six-month extravaganza elevated Hardison’s experience and knowledge of show business … on an entirely extraordinary level. He learned to digest and disect a twenty-page contract in ten-minutes, and could orally recite the details of the entire contract without even looking at it; a skill … he still perfects to this day.

Present Life:

Dennis K. Hardison is the CEO/Founder of Hardison International Entertainment and has been called: “One of the top Music Promoters in the world by a host of music magazines.” His name is seen in Billboard Magazine's Music Directory, Songwriter's Guide, the Bandit listings, and a host of other online listings and other music publications. Hardison is also the founder and CEO of Denlatrin Records, an independent Record Label promoting unsigned acts in Hip Hop, Rap and R&B Music. One of his hottest clients is his eldest son, a rapper that goes by the name of Dynamo. Hardison recently wrote his first biography, titled: “My Life: from the thug streets of Detroit to life as a Music Promoter,” currently listed on Amazon.com. He has turned down offers from a host of small publishers, until the right deal comes along. This is a long climb for Dennis K. Hardison, from Detroit street thug, high school drop out, to successsful music promoter, and college graduate, earning his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, at the age of forty-six.

Personal Life:

Dennis K. Hardison is rarely seen in public. He is a recluse who spends most of his time in an isolated area of the Smokey Mountains, writing books and fishing. His life is very private, and only a select few are in contact with this recluse. He has made only a couple of television interviews in the last thirty-years.

Reference: Billboard’s 2010 Magazine Directory Listings. Songwriter’s Guide 2010, Bandit Music Publication, Myspace, Facebook, Songwriter’s Source.Com, Linked, and Black Plane, and Bigbanglife.com.