Mo Ostin May Rejoin Warner Bros. Records
Universally respected music executive Mo Ostin may be returning to Warner Brothers Records in a consulting capacity according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ostin whose 30 year career began as an accountant and confident for Frank Sinatra and his Reprise Records imprint went on to head all of Warner Music and later the DreamWorks Record label until it’s purchase by Universal in 2004.
It is unclear what role Ostin who is now 79 might play, but he would be re-joining a group of famous executives that still have strong connections with the company including Ahmet Ertegun who serves as founding chairman of Atlantic Records, Seymour Stein who is CEO of Sire Records, and Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman who heads WMG’s online label Cordless.
While all of these execs from the company’s glory days and particularly Ostin had unquestionably brilliant careers and added much to the industry, speculation is that their presence is primarily ceremonial and serves as effective window dressing for Wall Street investors.
Frank friggin Sinatra? Is this the 70’s. Yeah he got respect, but he also most likely wouldn’t know the difference between IDM and a steak sandwich, let alone music in digital age.
Respect is nice. But it’s a lot nicer to have somebody who knows how to operate in digital age.
I hope google launch their music service soon enough and render big label irrelevant in about 2 internet seconds.