Comments:
I grew up on the north end of Miami Beach, went to Biscayne Elementary, and Nautilus Jr. High. After high school I went to the University of Miami where I inadvertently started my career in the Music Industry by working as A&M Records campus rep. I began working full time while finishing up at The U. After a few years working for a local Florida record distributor, along with 4 others, we started a national record company based in Miami, TK Records. Our main focus was as an R&B, Dance, and Jazz label. Our most successful artist was KC & The Sunshine Band. Additionally, we had quite a bit of success during the Dance/Disco era creating what Billboard Magazine dubbed, much to our surprise as, "The Miami Sound." There is a documentary movie being made on us I just interviewed for.
As the Music Industry began to consolidate I took a job in NYC in 1988 running Warner Brothers, Music Publishing Company, East Coast where I stayed for 14 years also segueing within Warner Brothers to run a Marketing, Licensing, and Business Development division. I then moved on to PolyGram Records for 8 years to run their Special Markets division that's charged with licensing music for movies (that produced some interesting stories), TV shows, other marketing executions for using our music, including being the art director of around 500 album covers for the catalogue development part of the division. When PolyGram was sold to Universal I was hired by Arista Records where some years later they were purchased so I started a Marketing and Business Development consultancy company. Being my own boss and off the road gave me the time and opportunity to be a more active father. My clients ranged from a clothing company Lucky Brand, to an upscale resort in The Bahamas, an education company (tutoring and test prep), a DVD company's film division, Blue Note Records and others. As far as work is concerned I was fortunate to have had my avocation (music) be my vocation. My last job was the COO of the tutoring and test prep company. It's quite a departure but I wanted to stay busy.
I was fortunate to have success and fun. I also got to use my creative instincts, as they were, that's what I was looking for in a career. I'm very thankful for that and that I've made some life long friendships.
Personally, I have traveled extensively by virtue of my Music Industry career (3 months a year on average), vacations, and every where my imagination took me, (especially to accommodate my fly-fishing habit), which has taken me to amazing and unusual places). My son is my travel partner which I am most thankful for. Prior to that, as far as travel was concerned, I think my father once gave me a bus ticket to Opa Locka.
I wasn't sure how I was going to handle retirement but I'm enjoying the freedom, the calm of not dealing with artists and other creatives, and attempting to direct 50 people who were wondering how did this guy become our boss. I'm now staying as active as I chose to be.
