list_text=          In the tradition of Disney's rich storytelling legacy, Lucien Ades pioneered the first "read-along" record album for Disney Consumer Products in France, in 1953. His idea to combine Disney story and music in a medium other than film - record albums with beautifully-illustrated companion books - spread to the United States and over the years, has inspired many different forms of Disney recorded merchandise including "storyteller" albums and "sing-alongs."
          Vice president of product development for Walt Disney Records Ted Kryczko said, "Read-alongs are a very important part of Disney. They've carved out their own unique niche in entertainment because they're interactive, imaginative and fun for children to use, while parents appreciate read-alongs because they're designed specifically for their children; there's great educational value in that."
          Born on January 20, 1920, in Constantine, Algeria, Lucien studied Arts at the nearby University of Algiers. After graduation, he served for a short time as a professor of French and Latin at a college preparatory school, until 1942, when he entered the French Liberated Armed Forces. During World War II, Lucien was stationed with British troops in the Middle East.
          After the war, he arrived in Paris, where he opened a bookstore in the Parc Monceau district. While there, his lifelong passion for children's literature inspired him to develop his first read-along record album, which was well-received by his customers. Not long after entering the music publishing business, Lucien sold his bookshop and with product in hand, contacted the French offices of Walt Disney Productions. There, he established a friendship and collaborative partnership with fellow Legend Armand Bigle. 
          Bigle recalled, "Lucien's 'read-along' concept was a brilliant addition to Disney's line of merchandise. He was a very good licensee - one of our best!"
          In 1957, four years after Lucien published his first read-along album in France, a version of his concept premiered in the U.S., when Disney merchandising produced its first "storyteller" albums, featuring song and story narration from such films as "Bambi," "Dumbo" and "Pinocchio."
          Lucien's record company, known as Ades Editions, produced countless read-along books for Disney in France. Besides acting as publisher, he also composed the scripts, while hiring gifted artists to develop the illustrations and famous French actors of the era to perform the roles. Although his priority was to publish children's read-alongs, his company also edited classical and contemporary records.
          In 1988, after conducting more than 30 years of business with Disney, Lucien sold Ades Editions to long-time Disney licensee Hachette Publishing, in Paris, but stayed on with the company for the next two years.  
          Lucien Ades died on July 17, 1992, in Paris.&