Patty Farmer, “Playboy Swings! How Hugh Hefner and Playboy Changed the Face of Music” (Beaufort Books, 2015)

What do Aretha Franklin, Rodney Dangerfield, and desegregation in New Orleans have in common? Perhaps, surprisingly, the answer is Playboy. Playboy magazine served as a guidebook for young people in the post-war era and taught this upwardly mobile generation how to live a modern, sophisticated, and cool lifestyle. It also supported the Civil Rights movement and the careers of many musicians and comedians.

In her new book, Playboy Swings: How Hugh Hefner and Playboy Changed the Face of Music (Beaufort Books, 2015),Patty Farmer explores how Playboy Enterprises, through its magazine, clubs, festivals, and record label, promoted and continues to promote jazz. The podcast discusses how Playboy gave many musicians, including Aretha Franklin and Al Jarreau, some of their earliest stage experience. Farmer also talks about how Heffner’s passion for jazz and racial justice caused him to be a strong advocate for integrating the stage at the Playboy Jazz Festival and in his many clubs. Farmer also shares quite a few good stories.

Patty Farmer is acknowledged as the leading expert on all things pertaining to music, entertainment–and the entertainers–of Playboy. She’s also a businesswoman and former model, and has followed the entertainment industry as an insider, as well as an avid fan and archivist all her life. Her first book, The Persian Room Presents, transported readers back to the halcyon days of New York City nightlife. More information about Patty Farmer can be found on her websiteand blog.

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