Ivor Arbiter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ivor Arbiter
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| Born | 31 December 1929 Balham, South London, England
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| Died | 26 July 2005 (aged 75) London, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Drum designer |
| Years active | 1950s-2003 |
| Known for | Designing the Beatles drop-t logo |
Ivor David Arbiter (born 1929 – died 2005) was a talented British drum designer and businessman. He was also a great salesman of musical instruments. Ivor started his career by owning a special drum shop in London.
Later, Ivor Arbiter helped start several music companies. These included Arbiter–Western and Dallas–Arbiter. He is most famous for two big things. First, he designed the Beatles' famous drop-T logo. Second, he was the person who brought karaoke to the UK!
Starting His Career
Ivor Arbiter was born in Balham, south London, in 1929. He grew up in the busy West End area of the city.
He began his career by opening a drum shop called Drum City. It was located on Shaftesbury Avenue in London. In the late 1950s, his shop became a popular spot. Many jazz drummers loved to hang out there. Soon after, Ivor brought Fender guitars to Britain. He introduced the very first Fender Stratocaster guitar to the country.
Designing The Beatles Logo
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In the early 1960s, Ivor Arbiter got special permission to sell Ludwig Drums. These drums were very popular. Ringo Starr, the drummer for the Beatles, wanted a special Ludwig drum kit. It was a "Black Oyster Pearl" kit. This kit was only available through Ludwig.
Ringo went to see Ivor Arbiter in early 1963. Ringo really wanted a large Ludwig logo on the front of his bass drum. But this was not something Ludwig usually did. Brian Epstein, The Beatles' manager, also suggested adding a Beatles logo to the drum head.
Ivor Arbiter quickly came up with an idea. He decided on a design with a big Beatles logo. There was also enough space to fit the Ludwig logo at the top. He drew his idea on the back of a cigarette pack. Then, he paid a local sign painter, Eddie Stokes, five pounds. Eddie painted the cool new logo onto the drum head.
Other Exciting Projects
Ivor Arbiter continued to do well in the music business. He sold equipment to many famous musicians. These included Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix. In 1966, Ivor started a new guitar company. It was called Arbiter–Western. This company was sold to Dallas in 1969. Ivor then became a top leader at the renamed company, Dallas–Arbiter.
While working there, Ivor launched a new line of drums. They were called Hayman drums. These drums were known for being the loudest on the market! In 1974, Ivor left Dallas–Arbiter. He started a new company called CBS–Arbiter.
In 1975, Ivor introduced something called Autotune. This invention made it much faster to change and tune drums. In the late 1980s, Ivor visited Japan. There, he discovered karaoke! He loved the idea and started bringing karaoke machines to the UK. He also began making them there.
In 2001, Ivor Arbiter received a special award. It was a lifetime achievement award from the Music Industries Association. This award recognized all his amazing work. Ivor retired in 2003. He passed away in London in 2005 after battling cancer.
