Honoring the Music Industry Players We Lost in 2023
Billboard pays tribute to the executives, songwriters, managers, producers, promoters and more who passed on this year.
Dusty Street sits on a stage at KGO-TV on July 19, 1970 in San Francisco. Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Each year, the music industry inevitably loses some of its most influential behind-the-scenes players — corporate executives, agents, managers, songwriters, producers, engineers, lawyers, promoters, visionaries and more who shaped the business in a multitude of ways. So far in 2023, the industry has lost people like the trailblazing music agent Charles “Chip” Rachlin, Spanish-language radio personality Polito Vega, record label co-founders Seymour Stein and Jerry Moss, the “Godfather of Black Music” Clarence Avant., and pioneering KROQ DJ Dusty Street.
To commemorate those who have passed on, Billboard is highlighting these enterprising, often-unsung individuals, who left a lasting impression across every aspect of the business. In addition to being mourned by their friends and loved ones, all of the people listed below left behind peers, colleagues, artists, mentees and more who were changed in some way by their having been involved in the industry.
Here are the behind-the-scenes players we’ve lost in 2023:
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Alba “Albita” Eagan, 69
Image Credit: Courtesy of Family of Alba Egan January 1
Veteran public and talent relations executive who was instrumental in launching the careers of Latin stars including Chayanne, Ricky Martin and Juan Gabriel. Read more here.
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Gary Kline
Image Credit: Courtesy of Radio World January 10
Longtime radio engineer and consultant who spent most of his career at Cumulus Media Networks, where he rose to become senior vp of broadcast engineering.
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Charles “Chip” Rachlin, 73
Image Credit: Courtesy Rachlin Entertainment January 23
Trailblazing agent for Billy Joel and The Beach Boys who worked at the Millard Agency and ICM before launching Rachlin Entertainment in the early 1990s. Read more here.
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Thomas H. Lee, 78
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/GI February 23
Billionaire private equity investor who was part of the group that acquired Warner Music from Time Warner in 2004. Read more here.
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Polito Vega, 84
Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/GI March 9
Larger-than-life radio personality and longtime program director of New York City’s Spanish-language station WSKQ (Mega 97.9 FM) who was a pivotal player in the rise of Latin music in the United States. Read more here.
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Liz Thiels, 78
Image Credit: Donn Jones for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum March 19
Public relations executive who co-founded Network Ink, Nashville’s first PR firm specific to the city’s music industry, and served as longtime vp of public relations for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Read more here.
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Seymour Stein, 80
Image Credit: Michael Halsband/Warner Music Group April 2
Sire Records co-founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee who signed major acts including Madonna, Talking Heads, The Pretenders and The Cure. Read more here.
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Irv Lichtman, 87
Image Credit: Paul Verna May 2
Longtime Billboard editor and columnist who carved out a niche as a music publishing expert. Read more here.
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John Tovar, 65
Image Credit: Jim Camacho May 21
Florida-based talent scout, consultant and artist manager who helped launch acts including Marilyn Manson, the Mavericks, Nuclear Valdez and the Goods
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Bob Rice, 79
Image Credit: Courtesy of Four Bars Intertainment and Top Dollar PR June 7
Founder/CEO of agency Four Bars Intertainment who represented such A-list video game composers as Inon Zur (Fallout), Tom Salta (Ghost Recon), Steve Ouimette (Guitar Hero) and Cris Velasco (God of War)
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Varnell Harris Johnson
Image Credit: Courtesy of The Living Legends Foundation June 21
Held senior roles at Capitol-EMI, Blue Note, Jive, Island and Elektra Records, plus was president of the Living Legends Foundation. Read more here.
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Jerry Bradley, 83
Image Credit: Tony Brown’s Book; “Elvis, Strait to Jesus” Melissa Core and Rick Caballo of Dead Horse Branding July 17
The legendary head of RCA Records in Nashville during country’s “Outlaw” heyday went on to run Opryland Music Group and was key to the growth of CMA Fest. Read more here.
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Chuck Flood, 78
Image Credit: Ed Rode July 21
Co-founder of Nashville business management firm FBMM. Read more here.
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Clarence Avant, 92
Image Credit: Gabriel Olsen/WireImage August 13
His decades of trailblazing work as an artist manager, mentor, executive and record label owner earned him the title of “Godfather of Black Music.” Read more here.
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Bob Jones, 86
Image Credit: Douglas Mason/Getty Images August 14
The longtime producer of the Newport Folk Festival is credited with persuading founder George Wein to ressurect it in 1985 following a lengthy dormancy. Jones also produced Wein’s jazz festival and was involved in the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
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Jerry Moss, 88
Image Credit: Getty Images August 16
With Herb Alpert, he built A&M Records into one of the industry’s most successful independent labels ever. Read more here.
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Laurence “Larry” Yasgar, 81
Image Credit: Courtesy Yasgar Family August 19
Longtime A&R executive (Atlantic, Columbia) who was instrumental in launching artists including Debbie Gibson, Nu Shooz and C+C Music Factory and founded the Vendetta Records dance label under A&M in the late 1980s.
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Dianne Bonney, 39
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo August 22
Longtime U.K. music executive (and Australian native) who started the successful drum & bass label Audioporn with her husband, Shimon, before joining Absolute Label Services, where she rose to head of digital. She is survived by her two-year-old son, Jack.
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Kim Guggenheim, 77
Image Credit: A. Kim Guggenheim August 23
Entertainment attorney who represented music artists including Al Jarreau, Stanley Clarke, Smash Mouth, Digital Underground, June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters and Arion Salazar of Third Eye Blind.
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Harold Childs, 80
Image Credit: Tom Vickers August 27
Longtime label executive who broke barriers as a Black man overseeing pop promotion at A&M Records in the 1970s before moving on to roles at Polygram, Warner Bros. Records and Quincy Jones’ Qwest Records. Read more here.
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Elliot Goldman, 88
Image Credit: Photo courtesy of e2pr August 30
Veteran record executive who served as executive vp/GM at Arista Records and president/CEO at BMG Music, among other roles. Read more here.
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Clive Fisher, 71
Image Credit: Courtesy of UMG Date N/A
Longtime executive at Universal Music Group in the United Kingdom who, as director of business & legal affairs and later executive vp, was a crucial player in negotiating crucial artist signings including The Cure, Elton John, Metallica and Queen while serving an instrumental role in several mergers and acquisitions.
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Ron Haffkine, 84
Image Credit: Courtesy of the Ron Haffkine Family October 1
Grammy-winning record producer and manager best known for his extensive work with Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. Read more here.
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The 45 King, 62
Image Credit: Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives October 19
Born Mark Howard James, the hip-hop producer worked with Eminem, Jay-Z, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa and many others during his decades-long career. Read more here.
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Dusty Street, 77
Image Credit: Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images October 21
The pioneering rock radio DJ blazed trails in San Francisco (at KMPX and KSAN) throughout the late 1960s and most of the 1970s before moving to LA’s legendary KROQ, where she held court for nearly 20 years before her most recent work at SiriusXM. Read more here.
Link to the source article – https://www.billboard.com/photos/music-industry-executives-who-died-1235294662/
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