Morris Ostin

Mo Ostin, who in his many years as the powerful chief executive of Warner Bros. Records made a point of putting the artist first, in the process encouraging the most important works of musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young and Prince, died on Sunday July 31 2022 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 95. Mo Ostin was known as an artist's friend and one of a very small cadre of music executives who were trusted by recording artists in developing and encouraging creativity, and who put credence into risk-taking. Ostin signed the likes of Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Sex Pistols, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. He was at Warner Bros. Records for 32 years, 25 of them as chief executive officer. He later signed on to head the music arm of the entertainment conglomerate DreamWorks SKG. After graduating as an economics major at UCLA, Ostin took a job at Clef Records, which later became Verve. In the late 1950s, Frank Sinatra tried to buy Verve Records. Verve was eventually sold to MGM Records, but Sinatra was so impressed by the company's artists and management style, when he decided to form his own company in 1960, he hired Ostin to head it. Reprise faltered despite good work, possibly due to Sinatra's edict that the label was not to sign rock and roll acts. Reprise was sold to Warner Bros. Records in 1963. Ostin knew he had to jump on the rock revolution. His first significant rock signing was the Kinks. The group promptly had six top 40 U.S. singles by the end of 1965. Ostin learned to trust his instincts, which led to him signing artists such as Jimi Hendrix After seven years heading Warner's Reprise division, Ostin was named president of the combined Warner Bros./Reprise operation. Two years later, he was appointed chairman/CEO, a position he held until December 31, 1994. On October 5, 1995, Ostin, along with former president of Warner Bros. Records Lenny Waronker, and former senior vice president of Artists and Repertoire at Warner Bros. and Ostin's son, Michael Ostin, signed on as the new management team for DreamWorks SKG Records. Mo Ostin was later named Chairman Emeritus of Warner Bros. Records and a consultant. In addition to his granddaughter Annabelle Ostin, he is survived by his brother, Gerald; his son Michael; three other grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. His wife died in 2005. Two of his sons died: Randy, a record promoter, in 2013, and Kenny in 2004.