Mel Cheren, Activist and Disco’s Godfather, Dies at 74. Andy Towle December 11, 2007 Mel Cheren, a founder of disco label West End Records and someone who was officially deemed "a Godfather of Disco" by a 2006 documentary, died of … [Read more...] about Mel Cheren, Activist and Disco’s Godfather, Dies at 74.