“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.”
So goes the famous quote by Hunter S. Thompson. Today it seems that the record industry is being run by global conglomerates and eccentric millionaires bent on space travel, but there are still a few artist types who hark back to the golden age of the business. Here’s a list of eight record moguls both past and present who recall the pioneering, hands-on artistic spirit of the record trade’s golden age.
Ahmet Ertegun, Neshui Ertegun and Jerry Wexler – This Atlantic Records trio is responsible for the rise of R&B, jazz and later rock and roll ― no small feat! The younger Ertegun, Ahmet, was first introduced to music through his older brother Neshui, an avid jazz enthusiast. Teaming up with Herb Abramson, Ahmet launched Atlantic Records in 1947. The label quickly rose to prominence with a stable that included Ray Charles and later John Coltrane and Charles Mingus, among literally hundreds of other marquee names. The original Atlantic execs were far from content to sit in an office and sign checks; not only did they have an ear for talent, but they actually manned the boards in the studio! Today, Atlantic is part of the Warner Music Group, one of the major conglomerates that controls the industry, but its humble beginnings sparked rock’s golden age. All three men have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for their innumerable contributions to rock and roll. The entire Atlantic story can be found in Josh Alan Friedman’s latest collection Tell The Truth Until They Bleed.
Tony Wilson – Manchester’s Tony Wilson is a former TV news reporter turned post-punk A&R and Factory Records label manager turned party promoter turned club owner turned Acid House and rave godfather — quite a respectable résumé. Discovering Joy Division — then known as Warsaw — at an early Sex Pistols gig set off a career that’s reverberations are still felt today. The effects of Wilson’s impeccable taste hold up with new bands constantly claiming influence from Joy Division, New Order and many others from the Factory roster. Wilson has been the subject of a feature film, 24 Hour Party People, about the rise and fall of the Manchester sound and Factory Records, and was a peripheral character in the recent Anton Corbijn-directed Ian Curtis biopic Control. Wilson passed away in 2007 of kidney failure.
Rick Rubin – Rick Rubin started Def Jam from his NYU dorm room with hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons. Today the company is part of one of the business’s largest conglomerates, but in the early ’80s it was a mere fledgling record label with a few minor hip-hop and punk acts to its credit. Rubin’s career has spanned four labels ― Def Jam, Def American, American, and now his current job as co-head of Columbia Records. In the ’90s, Rubin even had a funeral for the word “Def” and rechristened his label American Recordings. Aside from being a record label mogul, Rubin is a respected producer in his own right, responsible for seminal records from the Beastie Boys, Slayer, Danzig, Public Enemy and more recently Johnny Cash’s highly acclaimed final four albums and the latest from Neil Diamond.
Russell Simmons – Straight outta Hollis, Queens, Russell Simmons was integral in hip- hop’s jump from underground block party culture to the masses. With partner Rick Rubin, Def Jam provided the jumping-off point for some of rap’s early progenitors: LL Cool J, Run DMC (Simmons is the younger brother of Rev. Run!), Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys were all label mainstays. Not content to rest on his laurels Simmons branched out into fashion (Phat Farm), film (he was a co-producer of Krush Groove), TV (Def Comedy Jam, Run’s House), while still maintaining an ear to the street for new talent. Simmons discovered two MCs that would dominate the ’90s and ’00s respectively: Tupac Shakur and Jay Z.
Jay Z – Jigga may be best known as a rapper, but the entrepreneurial business man from Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects has a hand in just about everything. J-Hova is a co-owner of the New Jersey Nets, the clothing line Rocawear, his own label Roc-a-Fella, and for three years was the CEO of Island/Def Jam. Under Jay Z’s stewardship, the label introduced the world to Rhianna and Ne-Yo and gave rise to another burgeoning star from the Roc-a-Fella family, Kanye West. Though only an exec for a few short years, the stable of acts whose careers Jay Z launched at IDJ continue to dominate the rap and R&B world.
Steve Jobs – Steve Jobs made laptops and cell phones the phonographs and Walkmen of the 21st century. Though Jobs may be best known for his role as a Silicon Valley player, he also became one of the music industry’s biggest power players overnight ― due to the overwhelming popularity of the iPod and iTunes. The 2001 introduction of the iTunes store changed the way music is distributed, and the meteoric success of the iPod meant that fans were put into a love-it-or-leave-it position. With very few exceptions (Led Zeppelin and The Beatles being the most glaring), iTunes has leveled the playing field for both huge mega rock stars and fledgling indie bands.
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