Jerry Bassin
DOB Unknown – November 16, 2008
Jerry Bassin,was the founder of Bassin Distributors, a U.S. record one-stop that eventually became Alliance Entertainment Corporation, the second largest music wholesaler in the United States. He began his career in the music business during the ’60s when he and a partnered opened a Brooklyn based retail outlet called Collegiate Sports & Music. He sold the store in 1973 and moved to Florida where he again, partnered up on a record store. But this time, Bassin started a wholesale operation within the company and called it, Interstate Trading. His partner soon bought him out and Bassin eventually opened another distributor which would eventually be called Bassin Distributors. Unlike other 1980’s independent distributors who mostly catered to record stores within their geographical region, Bassin became one of the first one-stops to operate nationally. His was also one of the first U.S. based one-stops to sell music internationally. In 1991, he and his partner sold the company to Alliance where Bassin stayed on as an executive for the better part of the decade, and as a consultant after that. Jerry Bassin was 76 when he died suddenly while in the Bahamas on November 16, 2008.
As Jerry left AEC that Wednesday for the last time we spoke in the lobby. We talked about Henry Stone and he said “See ya kiddo … ” to me ….