Don Grashey

Dominic Michael Guarasci (November 1, 1925 – September 12, 2005), better known as Don Grashey, was a songwriter and music producer, best known as the owner of Zero Records and Gaiety Records.

Early life

Grashey was born in 1925 in Port Arthur, Ontario (now known as Thunder Bay). As a teenager Grashey first dabbled as a songwriter, teaming up with singer Jim Amadeo (aka Buddy DeVal). Together they struggled for more than a decade trying to get a foothold in a music industry that was still in its infancy, especially in Canada, so most of their efforts were directed to record companies and publishing houses in the U.S.

Producing career

In the late 1950s Don Grashey met Charles Chuck Williams in Thunder Bay, and the pair moved to Vancouver where with the financial help of Norm Burley, a retired lumber industry executive, and Art Phillips (who would later become Mayor of Vancouver), they formed Zero Records. Don was the company's President, overseeing the A&R Department and the publishing company Trilite Music. Grashey ran the business as he saw fit, signed the acts he wanted to record and promoted them without interference from any of the other shareholders. He had cheque-signing privileges for the company bank account to prevent any recurrence of a previous fiasco he had with Jury Records.