Record executive, producer, promoter, and manager who is currently the CEO of SRI Label Group. He has worked with artists ranging from Sammy Davis Jr. to John Lennon. And, he has licensed recordings worldwide, and works as a consultant to several major music labels. Last year he put out a hardcover book called, “Doing it on the Downbeat.”
"It's always going to come down to the talent. If you don't hear something you like, it doesn't matter it is or what format it is. Music is something that touches your life. We have a connection to a song that gets triggered into our memories. And we hear something that we like and we become attached to it."
"Nowadays everyone thinks they can write a song. And, ya' know, everybody probably has A song in them. But not everyone can write great song after great song."
"When we do something we do it the way we believe is best - what's best for the artist. It can't just be about anything else. The music business is the music business. If it's done properly an artist can do well."
"A musician is not what you do, it's who you are."
"Talent itself is not enough. It takes hard work. If you really want to succeed in the music business, it's like any business, you have to work hard."
"You have to be willing to do your part. Because you can sign a contract and the record company can promote it, and if you don't get out and work it, it doesn't matter."
"If you look around the world, everybody's trying to knock off what comes out of the United States. But they can't knock off the American talent. We generate the best talent on the planet. We just do."
"If you want to make a presentation to a label... make sure you have it together. Have a bio. Have whatever press clippings. Have information on your stuff. Have at least a couple of demo songs."
"There are two kinds of people; there are music and entertainment people, and then there are civilians. And if you're one of us, you're not one of them."
"Great songs are great songs. And that's what it's going to come down to. Don't worry so much about image. Worry more about song. If you write a great song people don't care if you have a bag on your head. That's really the truth, because let's be honest - your first impression of a song is you hear it, you don't see it."
"Laughter in the Rain" (Ray Brown, Jr. and Kim Hoyer)
"Let's Stay Together" (Al Jarreau)