Eddie Rosenblatt, the longtime president of Geffen Data from its inception in 1980 via its peak years, died Tuesday (July 16) at a hospital in Santa Barbara. He was 89.
His son Michael confirmed the reason for loss of life was pneumonia.
Rosenblatt performed a pivotal position within the rise of Geffen Data, steering the label via its childhood and establishing it as a powerhouse within the music business. Beneath his management, Geffen Data turned synonymous with the success of main artists like Weapons N’ Roses, Nirvana, and Don Henley.
Born in Queens, New York, in 1934, Rosenblatt’s journey into the music business started after a stint within the Military and finishing Macy’s administration coaching program.
He moved to Cleveland to work at Cosnat Distributing within the early Sixties, marking his entry into the music enterprise. In 1962, he joined Important Line Distribution, forming relationships with business giants akin to Gil Friesen, Jerry Moss, and Jac Holzman, paving the best way for his profession at A&M Data and later Warner Bros.
Rosenblatt’s experience in gross sales and advertising at Warner Bros., the place he labored carefully with artists like Joni Mitchell, caught the eye of David Geffen.
Geffen, who managed Mitchell, appointed Rosenblatt as president of Geffen Data when the label was based in 1980. The label’s preliminary roster included high-profile signings like John Lennon, Elton John, and Donna Summer time, though it was John Lennon’s album, Double Fantasy, launched simply earlier than his tragic loss of life, that marked its first main success.
All through the Eighties and Nineties, Rosenblatt oversaw a roster that included laborious rock and various acts akin to Whitesnake, Weezer, Peter Gabriel, Sonic Youth, and Nirvana.
The label’s success was furthered by the creation of DGC Data, which turned a serious participant within the various rock scene with artists like Beck and Gap.
Geffen Data was bought to MCA in 1990 for $550 million, and regardless of David Geffen’s departure in 1995 to launch DreamWorks SKG, Rosenblatt continued to guide the label efficiently.
He was recognized for his skill to domesticate expertise, each amongst artists and executives. Most of the business’s high A&R executives and future label presidents, together with Gary Gersh, Tom Zutaut, and Wendy Goldstein, bought their begin below his mentorship.
Mo Ostin, Rosenblatt’s former boss at Warner, as soon as stated, “If you happen to consider David because the imaginative and prescient behind Geffen Data, then Eddie is the guts. That label is not only worthwhile, it’s bought hipness and warmth, and Eddie is the glue that has held it collectively all these years.”
In a 1994 Billboard interview, Rosenblatt spoke about Geffen’s success within the various rock scene, saying, “We, up up to now, are a rock’n’roll file firm. We’re not within the city enterprise. We’re not within the nation enterprise. We’re not within the classical music enterprise. We’re within the rock’n’roll enterprise. We’re simply making the most of some glorious signings that our A&R division was lucky sufficient to get, and a few glorious information that these artists have made.”
Rosenblatt retired from the music enterprise following the merger of PolyGram and Common Music Group. He spent his retirement in Montecito, Calif., the place he was an avid tennis participant and philanthropist.
Rosenblatt is survived by his 4 youngsters, Michael, Steven, Peter, and Gretchen, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. His spouse of 68 years, Bobbi, died in 2023.
In lieu of flowers, the household requests that donations be made to the Sansum Clinic, a nonprofit outpatient healthcare group, at sansumclinic.org/donate-now.
