Herb Alpert Artistfacts

March 31, 1935
Despite his association with Mariachi-inspired music, Herb Alpert is not Hispanic; his parents were Jewish immigrants. His father, Louis, was a tailor and mandolin player from Radomyshl, Ukraine, while his mother, Tillie, had Romanian roots and taught violin. His older brother, David, was a drummer.
Alpert began playing trumpet at age 8. He attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, where he was active in the school's music program, further developing his trumpet skills. Alpert studied classical music before transitioning to jazz influences like Charlie Parker and Harry James.
In 1962, Alpert co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. The label became one of the most successful independent record companies, signing artists such as the Carpenters, Cat Stevens, and Janet Jackson. A&M Records was sold to PolyGram in 1989.
His 1965 album Whipped Cream & Other Delights became a cultural phenomenon, outselling major artists like The Beatles and Frank Sinatra in 1966. Its risqué cover featuring model Dolores Erickson is one of pop music's most memorable.
Alpert's instrumental hit "A Taste of Honey" won multiple Grammy Awards in 1966, including Record of the Year.
In 1966, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass had four LPs simultaneously in the Billboard Top 10. The record was only broken by Taylor Swift in December 2023 when she had five albums in the Top 10.
Alpert married Sharon Lubin in 1956, with whom he had two children before divorcing in 1971. In 1973, he married singer Lani Hall. They have one daughter together.
Beyond his musical accomplishments, Alpert is an active visual artist, with his paintings and sculptures displayed in various exhibitions.
He appeared as "Drummer on Mt. Sinai" in the 1956 film The Ten Commandments.
Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra sold more albums in the '60s than Herb Alpert. The British Invasion groups were huge with teenagers, but Alpert and Sinatra were big with their parents.

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