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There are only a handful of individuals that one meets who is so beloved as our next inductee. He has been an inspiration to us all in his generosity and commitment to the music industry and his passionate devotion and dedication in his fight against Aids. His name is Mel Cheren.

His career began in 1959 at ABC/Paramount, where he eventually became head of the label's production department. In the mid 1960's ABC bought Dunhill Records. When the company moved its operations to Los Angeles in 1970, Cheren remained in New York and became Head of Production for Scepter Records and this is where disco history was to be made.

Mel was ahead on the curve of the Disco Era, by being on the producing and receiving ends of dance music. As an avid club dancer, he was on the inside track and felt the pulse of what was happening in the clubs. He was instrumental in having Scepter be the first record company to create a 12-inch single for DJ'S. This innovation was greeted with immediate success from all and eventually saw its idea being picked up by other labels. He is also acknowledged as one of the first contributors to the still on going For The Record Record Pool. His idea of putting We're On The Right Track instrumental mix on the B side earned Scepter the 1974 Billboard Trendsetter Award.

Hits flowed from Scepter including Patti Jo's Make Me Believe In You, BT Express's Do It Til You're Satisfied and Jesse Green's Nice and Slow to name just a few. The latter earned Scepter Billboard nominations for single of the year and new artist of the year as well as a nomination For Mel as best edit of the year. When he released the albums Disco Gold One and Two, he gave tribute to all the clubs and djs he knew by having their names placed on the back cover

In 1976, Cheren started his own label West End Records and where other disco hits were to emerge. According to Grand Master Flash, Sessomatto, mixed by the late Jimmy Stuard, this 12-inch was the first record that early rappers used when performing before Sugarhill came out with Rapper's Delight. Hits continued with The Bomber's Get Dancin', Taana Gardner's Work That Body, and The Loose Joints, Is it All Over My Face to name only a handful.

The Paradise Garage. The name says it all. With his life partner Michael Brody, Mel as financial backer opened the club in 1976. The DJ was Larry Levan. The result a lasting moment in Disco History

In 1979 Rolling Stone included Cheren as one of the 30 most important people in disco. In 1982, Mel's reputation was firmly established even earning him the name “The Godfather Of Disco" from an article in The Dance Music report.

He has been active to say the least with Gay Men's Health Crisis, even donating his building for use as their headquarters. In 1987 he founded 24 Hours For Life, an organization to bring everyone together to raise money for Aids relief. Cheren's organization extended its mission by becoming the fiscal sponsor of Lifebeat.

His book, Keep On Dancin', written in 2000 was an autobiography of his life and is considered a classic today from which many others were written.

His accomplishments are many as we have seen, but he has not stopped. As a Dance Music Historian ...Mel Cheren is on a quest to establish a permanent home for a Disco Museum in NYC to preserve dance music history and we join him in this very important documentation of dance music history....on Sept 19th, Mel makes history himself as he is inducted into The Dance Music Hall of Fame for his Lifetime of Achievements.