A&M Records founder Jerry Moss has died aged 88.
According to a statement released by his family, Moss died at his home in Bel Air, California.
“They truly don’t make them like him anymore and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun… The twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure,” said the statement.
Moss formed A&M with Herb Albert in 1962, and the label went on to release music by artists including Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Burt Bacharach, the Carpenters, Quincy Jones, Liza Minnelli, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, Procol Harum, Fairport Convention, Joan Armatrading, Janet Jackson, The Police, the Human League, and many more.
A&M was acquired by PolyGram in 1989, becoming part of Universal Music Group in 1998. A&M was merged with Geffen and Interscope.
“Jerry Moss was one of music’s true pioneers and great entrepreneurs with a unique vision for what a label should be and how to build trusting long-term relationships with artists,” said UMG CEO & chairman Sir Lucian Grainge. “The independent spirit he and Herb Alpert championed at A&M Records is foundational to the culture that powers UMG today. On behalf of everyone at UMG, we offer our deepest condolences to his family.”
Moss was inducted with Alpert into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
A tribute concert was staged at the Music Center in LA earlier this year to mark the legacy of Jerry Moss. Performers included Herb Alpert, Pete Frampton, Sting, Rita Coolidge and Amy Grant.
PHOTO: Maury Phillips/WireImage/Getty Images
