Martin Bandier

Martin N. "Marty" Bandier^[1] (born July 21, 1941) is an American music industry executive, who is the CEO of Sony/ATV.

Bandier studied at Stuyvesant High School, Syracuse University, and Brooklyn Law School. He practiced with Battle, Fowler, Jaffin and Kheel, and then became General Counsel to the LeFrak Organization. In 1991, he became chairman and CEO of EMI Music Publishing Worldwide. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Early life and education

Bandier was born July 21, 1941, and grew up in Queens.^[2] He graduated from Stuyvesant High School at 16.^[2] At Syracuse University he met his first wife – Denise LeFrak, daughter of housing developer Samuel LeFrak – and majored in political science and history and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962.^[2][3][4] He then attended Brooklyn Law School, graduating in 1965.^[2][4][5][6]

Career

Following graduation from Brooklyn Law School, he joined the New York firm of Battle, Fowler, Jaffin and Stokes.^[2][4][5][6] In 1969, Bandier became General Counsel to the LeFrak Organization, where he rose to Senior Vice President.^[2][4] In 1975, he formed The Entertainment Company with Sam LeFrak and Charles Koppelman as his co-principals.^[2][4]

In the early 1980s Bandier and Denise LeFrak divorced, and in 1984 Bandier and Koppelman dissolved their partnership with LeFrak and formed the Entertainment Music Company and the Entertainment Television Company.^[2][4] In 1986, the partners purchased the Combine Music Catalog.^[2] That same year, Bandier and Koppelman teamed with financier Stephen Swid to form SBK Entertainment World, Inc. and purchased the 250,000 title CBS songs catalog for the then-record price of $125 million.^[2][4] In 1989, Bandier helped engineer the sale of SBK's song catalog to EMI Music and the creation of SBK Records.^[2] By the end of the first year at EMI, the company was named Billboard Magazine's number one music publisher.^[2]

In 1991, EMI Music Publishing Worldwide, then the world's largest music publisher, named Bandier – until then its vice chairman – chairman and chief executive.^[7] He was also president and chief operating officer of the SBK Records Group, a record label that EMI operated with its parent.^[7] In 2005, Bandier asked EMI to sell him its publishing unit, and when it refused he resigned in 2006. A few months later he was made chairman and chief executive of the music publishing entity Sony/ATV.^[4]

Bandier’s move to Sony/ATV matched one of the most renowned music-publishing executives in the industry with the company that controls some of its most valuable catalog assets and popular current artists and writers. The Sony/ATV catalogs include some of the biggest names in music, including The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Kraftwerk, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Richie Sambora, Sting, Hank Williams and Stevie Wonder, among others. Its ever-growing list of chart-topping artists, writers and producers includes Akon, Avicii, Calvin Harris, Jessie J, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Pink, RedOne, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Stargate, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.

In November 2011, Mr. Bandier was instrumental in negotiating the acquisition of EMI Music Publishing by Sony Corporation of America and an investor group, for which Sony/ATV administers the EMI catalog. The acquisition was a professional and personal milestone, as, prior to joining Sony/ATV, Mr. Bandier ran EMI Music Publishing for over 17 years. Under his leadership, it became the world’s largest and most successful music publishing company, as he acquired the rights to some of the most famous songs ever written and signed many top songwriters and artists.

Within months of joining Sony/ATV, Mr. Bandier negotiated the acquisition of the Famous Music catalogue from Viacom, which was widely considered one of the world’s largest and most sought-after music catalogues. It comprises 125,000 songs, including scores from films such as “The Godfather,” “Braveheart” and “Mission Impossible,” and titles by songwriters such as Shakira and Akon. Mr. Bandier also oversaw the acquisition of the Leiber & Stoller catalogue in 2007, which includes one of the world’s best known songs, “Stand By Me,” as well as over 20 of the greatest songs ever recorded by Elvis Presley, including “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Treat Me Nice”.

In 1990, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.^[2] He is a trustee of Syracuse University and a 1994 Arents Award winner. In 2006, Bandier founded a music and entertainment industry degree program at Syracuse University, appropriately named The Bandier Program for Music and Entertainment Industries. Its first class graduated in 2011. In February 2015 at the Pre GRAMMY Gala in Beverly Hills, California the GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons honored him with the President's Merit Award.

His many civic and industry commitments include membership on the boards of the City of Hope, ASCAP, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the NMPA, where he is Vice President of the Board of Directors. He also serves as a trustee of the T.J. Martell Foundation. In September 2008, The GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Foundation, the affiliated charities of The Recording Academy, announced that their respective Boards had elected Bandier to be a MusiCares Director. His many industry achievements include numerous and consecutive years as Publisher of the Year by performing rights organizations ASCAP and BMI. In 2007, Sony/ATV won Nashville’s “Triple Crown,” an unprecedented and historic achievement in music publishing with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC each naming Sony/ATV its Publisher of the Year. Since Bandier joined in 2007, Sony/ATV has won both of the industry’s top awards, the ASCAP Pop Publisher of the Year and BMI Pop Publisher of the Year on numerous occasions, including receiving both awards in 2014.

Personal life

Bandier has married twice. His first wife was Denise LeFrak. They had two children before divorcing: Allison Bandier Koffman, who married Jeffrey Koffman in a Jewish ceremony at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan;^[8] and Jenifer Lee Bandier, who married W.J. Diggins 3d in a Jewish ceremony at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.^[9] His second wife is Dorothy Harris. They have one son: Max Harris Bandier.^[10] Bandier is retired and lives in Palm Beach County. He and his wife are members of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.^[11]

References