any sense out of it. I was very fortunate that I stuck with it. It’s unfortunate
that kids don’t have that same opportunity now that most of the arts
programs have been cut out of the public school system.”
Alpert’s aptitude on his chosen instrument soon blossomed. He formed a
band in high school – the Colonial Trio – and began to perform on a regular basis. By 1951, despite local notoriety and steady work – weddings, parties
and clubs – he was yet to be sold on the idea of music as a career. “I was
playing weekends and making a moderate sum of money but I still wasn’t
sure where it was going to lead,” he says. “I liked playing the horn but I
wasn’t looking for music as a career when I was growing up.”
After high school, Alpert enrolled at USC, spending two years as a
gymnast, and then was drafted into the Army in 1955. He married during
his service, and after starting a family found the need for a steady income.
Alpert focused on music as a profession, and by 1957, he was playing gigs
in the evening, and during the day working with a new songwriting/
production partner named Lou Adler. The two were hired by Keen
Records, an L.A.-based label that was enjoying success with Sam Cooke.
Alpert was hustling, trying out and accruing a range of experiences that
would soon reward him well. Within three years, he had made a mark
as a songwriter (co-writing “Wonderful World” with Cooke),
