Norm Burley

Norm Burley was a Canadian businessman, talent manager and record producer, the founder of Zero Records and is credited with helping discover Loretta Lynn, leading to her signing with Zero Records and subsequently her legendary career as a country music pioneer.
Prior to his career in the music industry, Burley was a lumber industry executive from Sechelt, British Columbia's burgeoning [ trade. According to Lynn's website, Burley was so impressed with Loretta Lynn's singing during a televised talent contest in Tacoma, Washington that he founded Zero Records just to record her.
Loretta Lynn's rise to success was called "one of the great legends of the twentieth century" and "one of the most compelling tales in American popular culture.", and Burley's role in this as a talent manager was significant. As Lynn later wrote in one of her autobiographies,
"Doo and I were just like a couple of kids, and Norm Burley kind of adopted us. He said he wanted to help us by giving us a contract to make a record. He didn't wear any red suit or black boots, but that man sure looked like Santa Claus to us" (Lynn and Vecsey 1977, 108)
He offered to help the Lynns jump-start Loretta’s fledgling career by forming his own record label, Zero Records, and pressing some 3,500 copies of her first record. He was responsible for the first printing of Lynn's record being given to Bill Gates of Anacortes, Washington, which was the first radio airplay of her legendary career. Mr. Burley also paid for the recording session, financed a promotional road-trip for the couple, and offered to release her from her Zero Records contract if she was offered a chance to sign with a major label.
Later on, Burley remained involved in Zero Records, which produced and recorded singers like Lucille Starr, Myrna Lorrie, Buddy De Val, Bob Regan and recording star Carroll Baker.

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