Irving Green

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Irving Green (February 6, 1916 – July 1, 2006) was an American record industry executive, and co-founder and president of Mercury Records.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was instrumental in promoting African-American artists such as Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and the Platters.

In 1945, he founded Mercury Records, in Chicago, Illinois, along with Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge, and helped turn the independent outfit into a major label.

In 1964, Mercury Records became the first major record label to have a black high-level executive, when Green hired the trumpeter Quincy Jones as vice president.