service mysql start fails

[Ed Hoffman]

I installed MySQL from a binary on a RedHat6 server in a custom location, /usr/local/adm.

I can start it using the following command:
/usr/local/adm/mysql/bin/mysqld_safe --defaults-file=/usr/local/adm/mysql/my-adm.cnf --ledir=/usr/local/adm/mysql/bin &

I cannot start it running service mysql start. Here is the output:
Starting MySQL
/usr/local/adm/mysql/bin/mysqld_safe --defaults_file=/usr/local/adm/mysql/my-adm.cnf --ledir=/usr/local/adm/mysql/bin >/dev/null &

The server quit without updating PID file (/usr/local/adm/mysql/data/mysql-adm.pid).

The 2nd line of the output is the command being executed in start section of /etc/init.d/mysql