Along the Cherry Lane

John Denver said, "I have a producer who looks like an accountant, and an accountant who looks like a producer." Soberly dressed, unflashy, and a trained classical musician, in the golden age of the music business Milt Okun stood out by not standing out. His legacy does that for him. He discovered and launched John Denver, and mentored him throughout his career. He created arrangements for Peter, Paul and Mary that the trio performed for half a century. He brought Plácido Domingo a crossover career that made him an international star beyond the world of opera. He founded Cherry Lane Music, publisher of Dreamworks, Paramount and Marvel, Elvis, Quincy Jones and the Black Eyed Peas.

Milt Okun (Los Angeles, CA) was the 2008 recipient of the Abe Olman Publisher of the Year Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. As founder and publishing pioneer of Cherry Lane Music Publishing in 1960, Okun's career in the music industry includes roles as a singer, teacher, conductor, arranger, publishing executive, and author. As a producer, Okun is known for having worked with legendary artists such as John Denver; Plácido Domingo; and Peter, Paul and Mary. After establishing Cherry Lane, Okun launched a music education magazine, Music Alive!, to bring the excitement of the music world into the music classroom. Richard Sparks (Los Angeles, CA) has been a prolific scriptwriter for UK television, specializing in comedy (Not the Nine O'Clock News, The Optimist, The Worst of Hollywood) and children's adventure series (The Famous Five, The Flying Kiwi). He now concentrates on writing opera libretti, both original works and translations of classics.