Mo Ostin
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Mo Ostin (born March 27, 1927) is a record executive, who has worked for several companies, including Verve, Reprise, Warner Brothers, and DreamWorks. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 by Paul Simon, Neil Young, and Lorne Michaels. He is known among his colleagues as the most artist-friendly executive in the music business.
He was hired as president of Reprise by Frank Sinatra from Verve where he had been the accountant. At Reprise he was involved with such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis, Jr., and The Kinks.
In 1967 after a trip to Monterey, California, Pop Festival, he signed Jimi Hendrix.
Eventually he became the president of Reprise's parent company, Warner Brothers Records, where he signed numerous acts, including The Beach Boys, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Van Halen, and Prince. Ostin's work made Warners the biggest record company in the world and a model for the late 20th-century record company. After over two decades leading Warners, he resigned over corporate politics.
He returned to music in 1996 to lead DreamWorks Records for David Geffen. Under his eight-year tenure the label had successes with Nelly Furtado, Papa Roach, and All-American Rejects. The label was sold in 2004 and Ostin retired.
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[edit] Links:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum : Hall of Fame : Mo Ostin
