The Passing of a Giant
I am still processing the news that Mo Ostin passed away yesterday. Like everyone at who ever worked at Warner Bros. Records, Mo was a larger than life leader…the near-perfect company head, who ushered in an era of an artist-friendly music business, who valued his staff and the company culture as much as making great records. It did not matter if you saw him everyday, or just once in a while during an important work moment, Mo’s vision, intellect, and kindness left a deep mark. It has been over twenty five years since I got to work under his reign, and I still refer to him all the time when discussing leadership qualities, or his way of being successful while betting on artists, from Neil Young and Madonna, to the Fugs and the Boredoms.
There are stories floating around my head that I will tell in the upcoming days, but right now I am jumping into my car to pick up a drum kit and some amps for a show I am helping to put on tonight. Mo would agree that the show must go on, and I will be thinking about him throughout.
For those in the Bay Area, maybe I will see you tonight? At the Vogue Theater in San Francisco? It will be at the city’s second oldest movie house where The Seedsmen To The World, Andy Cabic from Vetiver, Paula Frazer from Tarnation, S Glass and others will be on-stage, playing along to the films of Harry Smith and others. If you want tickets, e-mail me and I will get you on the list.
Thank you for everything, Mo. Talk about a great person to have access too when being a young record label guy: how lucky was I to experience the last years of the Renaissance of the record business with him at the helm?
Sending condolences to Mo’s entire family, including Michael Ostin who led the A&R department that I grew up a member of.