Over the course of the past year, the music industry has lost some of its brightest behind-the-scenes stars: corporate executives, songwriters, managers, producers, engineers, lawyers, promoters, inventors and more.
Between them, these individuals penned hit songs (“Crazy for You,” “Elvira,” “My Whole World Is Falling Down,” “The Way We Were”); helped launch important careers (Metallica, Prince, Little Richard); masterminded iconic cultural events (Woodstock); founded enduring labels (Stax, Impulse!); built empires (Clear Channel); created and/or produced iconic Broadway musicals (Hair, Dear Evan Hansen); helped popularize burgeoning musical genres (hip-hop, alternative rock); and even changed the way people listened to music.
While they may not have enjoyed the high profile or public adoration of their artist counterparts, these individuals played just as important a role in keeping the business humming – or at least dissecting it, in fire-breathing fashion. Some worked in the industry across decades and eras; others passed on far too soon, but left their mark nonetheless. Some created new and important spaces for underrepresented voices; others paved the way for those who came after them. They have been remembered as dreamers, visionaries and jokesters, and described as “magnetic,” “legendary” and possessing “a rock and roll heart” by those who knew and loved them.
To celebrate those who have passed on, Billboard is highlighting these often-unsung movers and shakers, all of whom made a difference in the music industry in ways both large and small, across every aspect of the business.
Here are the behind-the-scenes players we lost in 2022.
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Jon Lind, 73
Grammy-nominated songwriter for artists including Earth, Wind & Fire (“Boogie Wonderland”), Madonna (“Crazy for You”) and Vanessa Williams (“Save the Best for Last”)
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Jim Stewart, 92
Stax Records founder who launched the careers of Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays and more
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Terry Tolkin, 62
Former Elektra Records A&R executive who championed alt-rock artists including the Butthole Surfers, Stereolab and Luna
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Greg Epler, 64
Veteran music manager and booking agent who worked closely with Fuel, Lisa Simon and more
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Joel Morowitz, 55
Co-founder of 199s indie label spinART Records, which put out music by The Apples in Stereo, Velocity Girl, Clem Snide and more
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Marybeth Peters, 83
U.S. Register of Copyrights from 1994 to 2010 who played a major role in shaping important legislation for the Internet era
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Lowry Mays, 87
Founder of Clear Channel, which dominated the radio, concert and outdoor advertising businesses for decades
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Jerry Bentley, 79
Former concert booker who managed Lee Greenwood for nearly 30 years
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Creed Taylor, 92
Record producer and label executive best known for founding jazz imprints Impulse! and CTI Records and introducing bossa nova to a mainstream audience in the U.S.
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Todd Brodginski, 53
Founder of Reckoning Public Relations who managed Art Garfunkel beginning in 2016
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Peter Scaping, 76
Former general manager of U.K. labels trade body BPI
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Joe Friedman, 76
Co-founder of famed New York City retailer J&R Music World
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Frank Ursoleo, 65
Longtime BMG executive who founded Iconoclassic Records
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Bill Walker, 95
Producer and music arranger who worked as music director on The Johnny Cash Show from 1969 to 1971
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Steve Fickinger, 62
Tony-winning producer for Broadway musicals including Dear Evan Hansen, Newsies and The Lion King
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Steve Smith, 62
Radio programmer and consultant credited with launching the hip-hop format with New York’s Hot 97 in the mid-1990s
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Joel Whitburn, 82
Longtime music chart historian and author who founded the Record Research company in 1970
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Margo Knesz, 84
Pioneering female executive in the radio promotion business who served as general manager at Atlantic imprint Atco Records for most of the 1980s
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Nobuyuki Idei, 84
CEO of Sony from 1998 through 2005 who played a key role in the company’s development of the compact disc
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Rick Turner, 78
Pioneering concert sound mixer and guitar luthier who built instruments for the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, The Who and more
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Fran La Maina, 82
Former president and COO of Dick Clark Productions who represented Clark for more than 25 years as his business adviser
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Eric Boehlert
Music business investigative reporter and editor (Billboard, Rolling Stone) turned progressive media critic and pundit
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Justin Fontaine, 61
Longtime music promotion executive who worked at Hollywood Records for 13 years
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Art Rupe, 104
Founder of Specialty Records who helped launch the careers of artists including Little Richard and Sam Cooke
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Ben Farrell, 76
Nashville-based concert promoter who worked with artists including Elvis Presley, Elton John and Garth Brooks
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Don Graham, 87
Music promotion pioneer who worked at Warner Bros. Records, A&M Records and Blue Thumb Records with artists including Edd “Kookie” Byrnes and Connie Stevens, The Everly Brothers and Ike & Tina Turner
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Sandy Roberton, 80
Co-founder of Worlds End Producer Management who helped pioneer the management business around producers and engineers
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Mo Ostin, 95
Legendary label executive who led Warner Brothers Records through a storied time of both artistic and commercial success for more than 30 years
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Bert Fields, 93
Entertainment litigator whose clients included The Beatles, David Geffen, Michael Jackson and Madonna
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Allison Canzanella, 32
Tour marketing director who helped open the brand-new UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY as vp of marketing
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Jamal Edwards, 31
Founder and CEO of hip-hop-leaning British youth media platform SBTV
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Morty Craft, 101
Veteran label executive, songwriter and producer who worked with a young Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, as well as Herbie Hancock, Bob Crewe, Connie Francis and Conway Twitty, among others
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Jon Zazula, 69
Co-founder of influential metal label Megaforce Records who released put out early records by bands including Anthrax, Testament, Overkill and Metallica
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Alan Warner, 78
Publishing executive and music historian who spent more than a decade at EMI Music Publishing as vp and senior vp of global catalog promotion
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Roy Rifkind, 94
Co-founder of Spring Records who signed artists including Millie Jackson and Joe Simon and charted one of the first-ever hip-hop hits, Fatback’s 1979 “King Tim III (Personality Jock)”
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Sidney Miller, 89
Founder and publisher of Black Radio Exclusive (BRE), one of the industry’s first Black music trade magazines
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Jerry Crutchfield, 87
Nashville songwriter, producer, publishing executive and music industry veteran who launched MCA Music Publishing’s Nashville office and served as its president for 25 years
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Ralph Emery, 88
Longtime country music broadcaster and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame who hosted Nashville Network talk show Nashville Now from 1983 to 1993
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Lisa Roy
Audio production and communications executive who co-founded Ground Control Studios and Rock & Roy Entertainment
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Gerard Drouot, 69
Concert promoter who brought acts including Ray Charles, Elton John and The Rolling Stones to France
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Michael Lang, 77
Co-creator of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair and co-founder of Sunshine Records, which signed Karen Dalton and Billy Joel
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Ken Williams, 83
Songwriter who wrote hundreds of songs for Peaches & Herb, Donny Hathaway, the Four Tops and The Main Ingredient (“Everybody Plays the Fool”)
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James Rado, 90
Co-creator of groundbreaking Broadway musical Hair
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Jimbeau Hinson, 70
Singer-songwriter who penned hits for The Oak Ridge Boys, David Lee Murphy, Kathy Mattea and more
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Dallas Frazier, 82
Songwriter who penned hits including The Oak Ridge Boys‘ “Elvira” and Gene Watson‘s “Fourteen Carat Mind”
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Marilyn Bergman, 93
Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with husband Alan Bergman on songs including “The Windmills of Your Mind,” “Nice ’n’ Easy,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and “The Way We Were”
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Warren ‘Waz’ Costello, 64
Longtime Mushroom Group executive who co-founded Liberation Records and the Bloodlines label
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Chris Lee, 76
Longtime music industry receptionist who worked at Warner Music Canada’s Toronto headquarters from 1978 to 2007 and more recently at The Feldman Agency and Characters Talent Agency
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Dan Einstein
Longtime music industry executive who launched Red Pajamas Records and John Prine’s Oh Boy Records
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Jim Boyer
Music producer and mixer who worked with artists including Billy Joel, Rupert Holmes, Paul Simon and Barbra Streisand
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Bil VornDick, 72
Nashville producer/engineer who worked primarily with folk, bluegrass and Americana artists including Alison Krauss, Doc Watson and Charlie McCoy
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Ira Selsky
Longtime music industry lawyer and business affairs executive who worked at companies including United Artists Records, ABC/Dunhill, Warner Bros. Records and Rondor Music
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John Beug, 75
Longtime head of creative services at Warner Bros. Records and Grammy and Emmy Award-winning film and television producer who helped pioneer the music-video form
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Allen J. Becker, 90
Co-founder of PACE Concerts who dominated concert promotion in Texas and much of the South for more than 20 years
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Peter Cooper, 52
Grammy-nominated producer, Nashville journalist and Country Music Hall of Fame executive who released several albums as part of the duo Eric Brace & Peter Cooper
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Robert Gordy, 91
Longtime Motown executive and younger brother of Berry Gordy who served as chief executive of the company’s music publishing division for many years
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Christine Farnon, 97
Longtime Recording Academy executive who rose to become executive vp of the organization
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Burt Goldstein, 73
Music retail and distribution executive who founded the New York music chain Musical Maze before launching the distribution companies Impact and Big Daddy
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Lamont Dozier, 81
Songwriter who partnered with Brian and Eddie Holland to write more than 25 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 songs for artists including The Supremes, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye
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Suzy Frank, 78
Label executive, artist manager and co-owner of the legendary Los Angeles punk club/restaurant Hong Kong Café who helped shepherd the careers of artists including Donna Summer, The Village People, KISS, Billy Burnette, Autograph and Keely Smith
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Tom Harrison, 70
Longtime Vancouver-based music critic and musician who wrote for The Province newspaper for 38 years
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Chris Ledesma, 64
Longtime music editor of The Simpsons who worked on 734 episodes of the iconic animated series
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Walter Ulloa, 74
Co-founder, chairman and chief executive of Entravision Communications who oversaw a network of 47 radio stations and 55 TV stations, most of them Spanish-language
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Jim Long, 79
Longtime music industry entrepreneur and pioneer who founded numerous broadcast and entertainment companies, including TM FirstCom, CrucialMusic, Honest Entertainment Group, OneMusic, Long-Pride Broadcasting and Elias Music Library
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Brooks Arthur, 86
Grammy-winning producer and engineer who worked with Janis Ian, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison and girl groups including The Dixie Cups and The Shangri-Las
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Mike Pela, 72
Grammy-winning record producer and engineer who worked with artists including The Who, Maxwell and Boz Scaggs but was best known for his four-decade association with Sade