| Jason Flom | |
|---|---|
| Born | Manhattan, NY |
| Occupation | President, Lava Records |
Jason Flom is an American music industry executive. He has served as the Chairman and CEO of music labels including Atlantic Records, Virgin Records, and the Capitol Music Group. In 1995, he founded Lava Records. He is also a philanthropist who has supported and championed various political and social causes.
A 2003 feature in The New Yorker called Flom "one of the most successful record men of the past 20 years," known for his "specialty [in] delivering 'monsters'."[1]
Flom is the son of the late legendary corporate attorney Joseph Flom.[2]
Contents |
As a teenager, Flom played guitar in rock bands in New York.[3] He began his career at Atlantic Records as a field merchandiser, and moved into the A&R department under Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun. After signing rock artists including Twisted Sister, Skid Row, White Lion, Stone Temple Pilots and Tori Amos, Flom soon became Atlantic's head of A&R, where he was mentored by Doug Morris.
Flom's leadership in A&R included breaking new artists such as Jewel, Hootie & the Blowfish and Collective Soul. In 1995 he founded his own label, Lava Records, in partnership with Atlantic Records.
At Lava, Flom discovered and championed artists who went on to sell in excess of 100 million records around the world in the label's first nine years of existence.[4] Lava artists have included Matchbox 20, Kid Rock, The Corrs, Uncle Kracker, Simple Plan, The Blue Man Group, Edwin McCain, Sugar Ray and Trans Siberian Orchestra.
In 2003 Flom signed the then 14-year-old Hayley Williams and her hugely successful pop-rock band Paramore to Atlantic Records.[5]
In 2005 Flom sold Lava Records to Atlantic, and was appointed Chairman and CEO of the Atlantic Records Group. In his first year, five newly released albums entered Top 5 of The Billboard Hot 200.[4]
Flom departed Atlantic in 2005 after the Warner Music Group became a publicly traded company with newly installed management. Thereafter, Flom became Chairman and CEO of Virgin Records in 2005. Following the merger of Virgin Records and its sister label, Capitol Records in 2007, Flom was appointed as the Chairman and CEO at the top of the newly formed Capitol Music Group.
While leading the Capitol Music Group, Flom worked with artists including Lenny Kravitz, Coldplay and the Rolling Stones. He also personally signed international pop star Katy Perry, and oversaw the recording of her debut album One of the Boys which sold more than 5 million albums and singles worldwide.
During Flom's 2-1/2 year tenure, the company broke 11 artists to gold, platinum and multi-platinum status, including the aforementioned Katy Perry, Lily Allen, 30 Seconds to Mars, Corrine Bailey Rae, Saving Abel, Dem Franchize Boyz, KT Tunstall, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, A Fine Frenzy, J Holiday, and Bubba Sparxx.
In early 2009, Flom reclaimed the Lava Records imprint, forming a partnership with Universal Republic for promotion, marketing, sales and distribution services. Flom has since signed artists including Jessie J, Black Veil Brides, and CJ Holland.
Jessie J has become an international superstar.[6] Her debut singles "Do It Like a Dude" and "Price Tag" featuring B.o.B have both become international smash hits, "Price Tag" reaching number one in the UK and 17 other countries.[7] Her debut album Who You Are has sold over two million copies worldwide and received Platinum certification in multiple countries.[8]
Black Veil Brides' first major label release (through Lava) Set the World on Fire debuted on the Billboard Top 20 and sold over 100,000 copies. Since its debut, the band has graced numerous magazine covers, sold out a number of shows on their tour, and gained hundreds of thousands of fans.
Songwriter CJ Holland signed to Lava Records in early 2011. Holland began recording his debut album shortly afterward under Flom and Lava's Senior Director of A&R, Harinder Rana. His reception within the industry has been enthusiastic, particularly among leading artists and publishers.
Flom serves as a board member for various charitable organizations. These include The Innocence Project, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, The Legal Action Center and The Drug Policy Alliance. In addition, Flom has supported various medical research organizations including The T.J. Martell Foundation and City of Hope. He was honored by the UJA Federation as their first "Music Visionary of the Year" in 2000, was awarded 1999's "Torch of Liberty" by the American Civil Liberties Union and was the honoree at the 2009 Innocence Project Gala.
In honor of his late father, Flom inaugurated the Joseph Flom Special Counsel position in May 2011 through a $1 million donation to The Innocence Project. The position will significantly increase the capacity of The Innocence Project to address the causes of wrongful conviction. [9]