1/2/2023 0 Comments Warner records![]() It was such a joy to be in his world, but I knew the feeling was mutual and he felt it was a joy to be in OUR world too. He listened to artists and always put them first. Mo was loving and nurturing and had excellent musical tastes with boundless ideas and vision. WARNER RECORDS MACI have a crystal clear memory of Fleetwood Mac walking in the front door of Warner Bros offices in 1975 and I can honestly say that my world changed instantly. “His love of artists created a truly magical world at Warner Bros. Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar added a comment on Flea’s Instagram, “Signed some of the greatest artist of all time nothing but love and respect…wonderful post Flea.”Ī post shared by Flea was a tremendous, one-of-a-kind music executive, there was nobody else like him,” said Stevie Nicks in a statement provided to Billboard. He made me feel valued, understood, and welcome, when I was a confused kid with a lot of growing up to do.” I am so grateful that he was a part of my life his stories, his humor, his love for his work, he is the greatest person I ever met in the music business. Many artists stayed close with Ostin for decades, even after he left Warner Brothers, including Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, who paid tribute on Instagram: “Mo Ostin was a true gentleman. ![]() And also, because we valued artists, he signed with us.” Columbia would only give him a two-LP deal, so we decided that we would give him a three-LP deal because we believe in him so strongly. But A&M wanted his publishing and he wouldn’t give it up, so he passed on them. There was a lot of competition because other people knew about him - A&M and Columbia were trying to sign him, and it became very competitive. We were absolutely blown away and wanted to sign him immediately. He recalled the first time he heard Prince and how Warner Bros.’s attitude towards artists–and a canny offer– led to Prince choosing the label: “Our head of promotion, Russ Thyret, got a demo from our promotion guy in Minnesota, Owen Husney - he later became Prince’s manager. Though Prince left the label in 1996, after accusing it of “slavery,” only to return in 2014, Ostin regarded Prince as a genius, comparing him to Sinatra in a 2016 interview with Billboard following Prince’s passing. With an artist-first mentality, the labels became the home to an astonishing range of artists during his tenure, including Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, the B-52s, Paul Simon, ZZ Top, George Benson, Don Henley, Tom Petty, Green Day, Van Dyke Parks, Dire Straits, Chaka Khan, and, famously, Prince, who signed with the label in 1977. Records in 1970, presiding over the Warner and Reprise imprints until he retired as chairman/CEO in 1994. He had a great deal of respect for all the artists on the label, from Hendrix to Sinatra-but not in that order,” Newman tells Billboard. Quickly thereafter, he brought Hendrix, Mitchell and Neil Young to the label. Records bought Reprise and Ostin quickly captured the pop zeitgeist, signing The Kinks. After starting his career at Verve Records, Ostin was recruited by Frank Sinatra to run his Reprise Records in 1960. Ostin, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and who received a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy in 2017, was born Morris Meyer Ostrofsky in New York and moved to Los Angeles, attending Fairfax High School and UCLA. ![]() Our condolences go out to his family at this difficult time.” On behalf of everyone at Warner, we want to thank Mo for everything he did, and for his inspiring belief in our bright future. Mo lived an extraordinary life doing what he loved, and he will be deeply missed throughout the industry he helped create, and by the countless artists and colleagues whom he inspired to be their best selves. Over his next three decades at the label, he remained a tireless champion of creative freedom, both for the talent he nurtured and the people who worked for him. “One of the pivotal figures in the evolution of Warner Music Group, in the 1960s Mo ushered Warner/Reprise Records into a golden era of revolutionary, culture-shifting artistry. “For Mo, it was always first and foremost about helping artists realize their vision,” their statement continues. Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly & The Crickets Drummer and Songwriter, Dies at 82 ![]()
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