GAMBLE & HUFF: Philly International Records Museum May Emerge From The Ashes Of Arson

DAILY NEWS: Sometimes, out of destruction, comes creation. Just hours after the man who allegedly torched Philadelphia International Records in a drunken haze was held for trial, owners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff said yesterday that they may create a museum in the building as part of its rehabilitation. In an interview inside PIR’s gift store, producing duo Gamble and Huff said that they’ve spoken with U.S. Rep. Bob Brady about the idea, and that the Smithsonian Institution has shown interest. “It’s all premature right now, but that’s the kind of interest we’re getting,” Gamble said. “You can’t beat the […]

AFTER THE FIRE: Gamble & Huff Vow To Rebuild

[Photo by JEFF FUSCO] RANDY ALEXANDER: Describing the burned-out remains of their historic “Sound of Philadelphia” offices as “total devastation,” legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriter-producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff held a press conference today to express their outrage and sorrow from seeing the iconic birthplace of Philly Soul Music ravaged early Sunday by a fire termed “suspicious” by officials. Despite the extensive damage to the third-floor at 309 S. Broad St., where the Philadelphia International Records (PIR) offices and recording studio are located and the fire apparently originated, Gamble & Huff vow to rebuild their home […]

THIS JUST IN: Phillly International Catches Fire

INQUIRER: A strong fire swept through the Broad Street offices of Philadelphia International Records today, causing extensive damage to the celebrated music company where Chubby Checker recorded “The Twist,” and where songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff developed their soulful Philadelphia sound. Investigators, who arrived on the scene four minutes after the 7:28 a.m. alarm, were working yesterday to determine the cause of the blaze. They immediately escorted an unidentified man from the three-story building on the corner of Spruce Street, across from the Kimmel Center. He was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with minor injuries, and was being […]