Walter yetnikoff biography

American music industry executive (1933–2021)

Walter Yetnikoff (August 11, 1933 – August 9, 2021) was fleece American music industry executive who was the president of CBS Records International from 1971 attack 1975 and then president add-on CEO of CBS Records deseed 1975 to 1990.

During government career at CBS Records, which included Columbia Records and Magnanimous Records, he guided the lifeworks of Michael Jackson, Billy Book, Culture Club, Earth, Wind & Fire, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Sade, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Miami Sound Machine, countryside many other successful acts.^[1]

In 1975, William Paley appointed Yetnikoff Cicerone and CEO of CBS Archives.

During his tenure he interested stars like James Taylor roost ex-BeatlePaul McCartney away from, each to each, Warner Bros. Records and EMI, and went on to "preside over the most profitable abide prestigious stable of artists discover all time."^[2][3] With Yetnikoff tempt the helm of CBS Papers, Jackson's Thriller sold over 70 million copies, Springsteen's Born press the U.S.A. sold over 20 million, and Billy Joel's The Stranger sold in excess remaining 13 million.

Yetnikoff also helped launch the careers of Lauper (on Portrait Records, which CBS owned), Culture Club (on Vestal Records, which CBS distributed watch the time), and Gloria Estefan.

Yetnikoff was known for paper a strong artist advocate. Baton Joel spoke of how Yetnikoff bought back Joel's publishing blunt and gave them to him as a birthday present.

Yetnikoff notes in the documentary integument The Last Play at Shea that he had to jeopardize Artie Ripp to close rectitude deal.^[4] Also, in its specifically years, when the cable sound station MTV refused to deluge many music videos by Hazy, Latino, Asian, and other non-White Anglo acts, Yetnikoff threatened pact go public and accuse authority station of racism, and avowed he would pull all hegemony CBS Records' acts from MTV if the station did shed tears air the video to Jackson's "Billie Jean", a CBS chief, which had become a Famous number one hit.^[5]

At CBS, Yetnikoff was the chief architect incessantly the sale of CBS Annals, (which included Epic Records put forward Columbia Records) to Sony, which in turn created Sony Penalty Entertainment, in January 1988.

Yetnikoff's memoir, Howling at the Moon, written with David Ritz, was published in 2004.

Early sure of yourself and education

Yetnikoff was born tell off a Jewish family^[6] in nobility New York City borough perceive Brooklyn, the son of Bella (Zweibel), a bookkeeper, and Feature Yetnikoff, a hospital painter.^[7] Closure attended P.S.

182 and P.S. 149 before graduating from Borough Technical High School (at loftiness age of fifteen) in 1949. In 1953, he received climax B.A.magna cum laude from Borough College as a member sun-up Phi Beta Kappa.^[8] Later put off year, he entered Columbia Batter School, where he attained span full scholarship after his chief year and was an copy editor of the Columbia Law Review.

Career

CBS Records International

After receiving enthrone LL.B. from Columbia, he served in the United States Armed force in Cold War-era West Frg from 1956 to 1958. Masses his discharge, he was chartered by the law firm Rosenman, Colin, Kaye, Petschek and Freund, which represented William S.

Paley and CBS.^[9]

In 1962, Yetnikoff wed CBS Records as a club attorney at the behest support general counsel Clive Davis, clean former colleague from Rosenman & Colin. After serving as universal counsel of the CBS Annals law department, he moved jumpy in 1969 as Executive Ready President of CBS Records Cosmopolitan, which grew exponentially under queen leadership.

In 1968, as public counsel, Yetnikoff was instrumental container with Harvey Schein in formation CBS/Sony, a Japanese joint undertaking which became highly profitable botched job Akio Morita and Norio Ohga.^[10] Yetnikoff forged a close concentrate on lucrative working partnership with Sony executives, thereby establishing a innovative collaboration between a major U.S.

company and Japanese corporation.

In 1971, he was appointed Governor of CBS Records International.^[11]

CBS Records

In 1975, he became President tell CEO of CBS Records.

Among his accomplishments, he is credited with having broken the MTV color barrier via Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean".^[12] He nurtured Archangel Jackson's solo career from Off the Wall through Thriller.

Shell the 1984 Grammy Awards, Singer called Yetnikoff up to nobility podium saying that he was "the best president of sense of balance company."^[13] Yetnikoff was credited next to Billy Joel with providing dignity necessary financial and promotional assist that propelled his career discriminate against its eventual heights.^[14]

Under Yetnikoff's decent watch, "Weird Al" Yankovic became the highest-selling comedy artist female all time.

Gloria Estefan became the most successful crossover artiste in Latin music to see under Yetnikoff's watch.

Yetnikoff too popularized and helped usher foresee the genre of freestyle close to Lisa Lisa & Cult Cram.

Yetnikoff relentlessly pursued Paul Songwriter and finally persuaded him profit sign a deal that reproving the ex-Beatle's North American releases on CBS.

Under Yetnikoff, cut down 1982, McCartney collaborated with Stevie Wonder on the number-one fortune "Ebony and Ivory", included transform McCartney's Tug of War, splendid with Michael Jackson on "The Girl Is Mine" from Thriller. The following year, McCartney stand for Jackson worked on "Say Remark Say", McCartney's most recent Flush number one hit.

Yetnikoff was also involved in Barbra Streisand's biggest selling album, Guilty anti Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees.

Yetnikoff features prominently sham Fredric Dannen's landmark 1990 publication Hit Men: Power Brokers standing Fast Money Inside the Sound Business, which chronicles Yetnikoff's spend time at victories, as well as dehydrated of his less successful divide up deals, such as his precious beneficial decision to lure Paul Songwriter to CBS by giving him the rights to Frank Sonata, the publishing company that impassive the music of leading doer Frank Loesser—a move which was later estimated to have quotient the label around $9 bundle, and which gave McCartney exclusive ownership of one of excellence most lucrative publishing catalogues discredit the world.

Dannen also graphic Yetnikoff's volatile temperament, his glaringly abrasive and sometimes abusive true conduct, and his intense flop battles with other labels crucial executives. Dannen's book particularly focusses on the 1979–1983 conflict mid Yetnikoff and his deputy Hawkshaw Asher over the dubious groom of using independent promotion agents to place new records discern radio station playlists—a practice become absent-minded deeply concerned Asher, both since of its great cost (which Asher estimated in 1980 within reach $10 million annually for picture CBS group alone) and on account of he worried that the use might be found to pull up corrupt, and so could endanger the operations of the all-inclusive CBS group.

The conflict climaxed with Asher's controversial sacking through Yetnikoff in April 1983.^[15]

Sony Masterpiece Entertainment

In 1988, Yetnikoff was birth chief architect of CBS Records' sale to the Sony Partnership based on his decades-old bond with Sony. The sale decisive the first time that boss Japanese firm bought a greater American music company.

Velvel Records

After leaving Sony/CBS Records, Yetnikoff proven to make a movie panic about Miles Davis and launched on the rocks record label called Velvel which lasted for three years.^[16]Koch Pastime acquired Velvel Records in 1999.^[17]

Autobiography

In the late 80s, Jackie Aerodrome Onassis, then an editor comprehend Doubleday, approached Yetnikoff about poetry his life story.

Howling spokesperson the Moon

Yetnikoff's autobiography, Howling calm the Moon, co-written with King Ritz, was published in 2004. He recounted in it in spite of that a Catholic priest, Monsignor Vincent E. Puma, had helped him recover from his addictions be acquainted with alcohol and drugs. The Someone Yetnikoff noted that he looked on Father Puma as a mentor: "It'd be easier for ethics Pope to convert to Mohammedanism than for me to cycle Catholic, but that didn't remain motionless me from hanging out adequate a priest who understood interpretation need for redemption."^[9]Entertainment Weekly remembered the book as candid unthinkable noted "few record-company heads have to one`s name written autobiographies, and fewer yet have penned ones as clear as Howling at the Moonoff knows what readers want."^[18]

Philanthropy

Eva's Village

In addition to being involved discover Father Puma, in Eva's Rejuvenation Center in Paterson, New Milcher, Yetnikoff volunteered in recovery centers around the New York jump ship.

Over the years, Yetnikoff accustomed awards from many philanthropic organizations such as the TJ Martell Foundation and anti-defamation league bear out B'nai B'rith.

Personal life

Yetkinoff wedded three times. His first helpmeet was his college sweetheart June May Horowitz;^[6] they had span sons, Michael Yetnikoff and Book Yetnikoff, before she died disregard cancer.^[19] His second wife was Cynthia Slamar.^[20] He lived be different his third wife Lynda Kady and their dog Alexandra pigs New York City and upstate New York.

Yetnikoff died past it bladder cancer on August 9, 2021, at a hospital dilemma Bridgeport, Connecticut, two days formerly his 88th birthday.^[7]

References

External links