Donald Dempsey

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Donald Dempsey (right) with songwriter Joseph Rigatuso

Donald Dempsey Sr. (1932 – 27 January 2005) was an American recording executive who helped launch Ozzy Osbourne and Merle Haggard.

A one-time math teacher, Dempsey began his music career peddling albums for a distributor to dime and discount department stores that would eventually embark on a 25 year career with CBS Records. Dempsey became general manager in 1978 of Epic Portrait Associated (Epic Records, Portrait Records and CBS Associated Labels Group). When the music industry when into a tailspin in the mid 1980s, Dempsey was removed from his post in 1986 and retired shortly afterwords.

In his role as general manager of Epic Portrait Associated, he worked with The Clash, Culture Club, The Isley Brothers, George Jones, Quiet Riot, Ricky Skaggs and Luther Vandross. His career high is seen to be the aggressive marketing of Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller, which sold over 40 million copies.

He died on 27 January 2005 of a stroke at his home in Kissimmee, Florida. He is survived by his son, Don Dempsey Jr. of New York.