Mo Ostin

Early life

Ostin was born Morris Meyer Ostrofsky in New York City on March 27, 1927. His family was Jewish and fled Russia during the Russian Revolution. They eventually relocated to Los Angeles when Ostin was thirteen and operated a small grocery market close to the Fairfax Theatre. He attended Fairfax High School, before studying economics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He subsequently commenced studies at the UCLA School of Law, but ultimately dropped out to support his family.

Career

Ostin began his career in the mid-1950s as comptroller at Clef Records, a record company started by Norman Granz, brother of friend and neighbor, Irving Granz. The company was soon renamed 'Verve', where he was involved with Jazz At The Philharmonic, a worldwide concert promotion operation that provided a live performance platform for the label's touring stars. Frank Sinatra tried and failed to buy Verve, which was eventually sold to MGM Records. Sinatra was reportedly so impressed by the company's artists and the management's style that he formed his own Reprise Records in 1960 and hired Ostin to head it. Three years later, Reprise joined forces with Warner Bros. The first rock act Ostin signed to Reprise was the Kinks. He signed Jimi Hendrix in the spring of 1967 based on hearing "Hey Joe", then was amazed after seeing him perform at the Monterey Pop Festival.

Ostin ultimately spent 31 years at Warner/Reprise from 1963 to 1994, serving as its chairman and CEO from 1972 onwards. He oversaw the signing of Prince, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, R.E.M., Madonna, Paul Simon, Talking Heads, the Grateful Dead, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Halen, the Who, and Randy Newman. He was noted for giving artists creative freedom and creating a company geared towards artists, attributing this outlook to his time with Sinatra. Recognized as an industry titan, he served as chairman of the Recording Industry Association of America for a two-year term. He left Warner acrimoniously in 1994 after they requested that he slash his payroll, turning down their offer of a three-year extension. He described the situation as "the toughest thing I've ever been through in the business", adding that "it shook [him] to the core".

After departing Warner Bros., Ostin went on to join the music division of the entertainment conglomerate DreamWorks SKG in October 1995. Three years later, he received The Recording Academy President's Merit Award at the 2006 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons.

George Harrison wrote the song "Mo" as a tribute to Ostin.

Philanthropy

A graduate of UCLA, Ostin and his wife Evelyn donated $10 million and played a critical role in establishing the university's Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center, a state-of-the-art campus music facility. In March 2015, Ostin donated $10 million to UCLA for the Mo Ostin Basketball Center, a state-of-the-art training facility, which was opened in October 2017 and named in his honor. He also sat on the board of visitors for the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and supported the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance.

Personal life

Ostin was married to Evelyn for 55 years until her death in 2005. All three worked as Warner executives. Both Kenny and Randy predeceased him in 2004 and 2013, respectively.

Ostin died in his sleep on July 31, 2022, at the age of 95. From 1987 until his death, Ostin was the owner of the modernist Wave House in Malibu, California.

References

References

1. (2004). "Mo Ostin Record company executive". [[Encyclopedia.com]].
2. Hilburn, Robert. (December 11, 1994). "Quotations From Chairman Mo : Mo Ostin lets his artists to do the talking about him and his whole career.Now the record-biz legend steps out of the shadows and takes us on a tour from Ol' Blue Eyes to Red Hot Chili Peppers.". [[Los Angeles Times]].
3. Snapes, Laura. (August 2, 2022). "Mo Ostin, US record exec who signed Jimi Hendrix and the Kinks, dies aged 95". The Guardian.
4. Gomez, Melissa. (August 1, 2022). "Mo Ostin, executive who transformed Warner Bros. into revered record label, dies at 95". Los Angeles Times.
5. (September 23, 2014). "Houses of the Holy: Where the Music Biz Celebrates the Jewish High Holidays". [[Billboard (magazine).
6. Hershorn, Tad. (2011). "Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice". University of California Press.
7. Italie, Hillel. (August 2, 2022). "Mo Ostin, longtime Warner records chairman, dies at 95". Associated Press.
8. Newman, Melinda. (August 1, 2022). "Mo Ostin, Legendary Warner Bros. Records Chief, Dies at 95".
9. (April 1, 2019). "Mo Ostin '51".
10. Boehm, Mike. (May 4, 2011). "Record executive Mo Ostin gives $10 million to UCLA for new music center". Los Angeles Times.
11. (August 2, 2022). "In memoriam: Alumnus Mo Ostin, 95, music industry legend and philanthropist". University of California, Los Angeles.
12. "The Mo Ostin Basketball Center".
13. (May 22, 2014). "UCLA Athletics Announces Plans for New Basketball Practice Facility". UCLABruins.com.
14. (September 1, 2013). "Randall Alan Ostin Obituary". [[Los Angeles Times]].
15. Canby, Vincent. (April 17, 1987). "Film: A Documentary, Diane Keaton'S 'Heaven'". [[The New York Times]].
16. <ref name ="variety obit>[https://variety.com/2022/music/news/mo-ostin-dead-warner-bros-records-chief-1235330951/ Chris Morris, "Mo Ostin, longtime Warner Bros. Records chief, dies at 95", ''Variety'', August 1, 2022]. Retrieved August 2, 2022
17. (3 September 2024). "California home thought to have inspired Sydney Opera House sells for US$20m less than asking price".
18. Jack Flemming (1 June 2023), [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-06-01/the-wave-house-harry-gesners-malibu-masterpiece-lists-for-49-5-million The ‘Wave House,’ Harry Gesner’s Malibu masterpiece, lists for $49.5 million] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.