Producer, Label Founder Bob Keane Dead At 87

Longtime record producer and DEL-FI RECORDS founder BOB KEANE, who discovered RITCHIE VALENS and recorded SAM COOKE, the BOBBY FULLER FOUR, and FRANK ZAPPA, died SATURDAY from renal failure related to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in HOLLYWOOD at 87.

KEANE, born ROBERT VERRIL KUHN, started as a teenage bandleader and, after serving in WORLD WAR II, changed his name and continued as a performer, leading the orchestra for comic HANK McCain's radio show before starting KEEN RECORDS in 1957.  The label scored a huge hit with COOKE's "You Send Me" before KEANE left and started DEL-FI, which had a top 10 hit with FULLER's "I Fought The Law" and hits for several others, including BRENDA HOLLOWAY and CHAN ROMERO. 

DEL-FI, which also included subsidiaries DONNA (which released early ZAPPA doo-wop recordings), MUSTANG, BRONCO, and STEREO-FI, was reactivated in the 1980's; the catalog was sold to WARNER MUSIC GROUP in 2003.  KEANE's sons JOHN and TOM performed as THE KEANE BROTHERS and continue as composers and performers.

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