LOSS OF A LEGEND

Mo Ostin, Pioneering Warner Bros Record Executive, Dies at 95

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee signed everyone from Joni Mitchell and Jimi Hendrix to R.E.M. and Van Halen.

Mo Ostin, the former Warner Brothers record executive who signed Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, and a slew of other legendary artists, has died at age 95, the label announced. Ostin is said to have died peacefully in his sleep on July 31. A joint statement from Tom Corson, co-chairman and COO, and Aaron Bay-Schuck, co-chairman and CEO, paid homage to Ostin as “one of the greatest record men of all time, and a prime architect of the modern music business.” The pioneering executive was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 for his prolific career at the label, which spanned decades and was seen as a “golden era” in music. In a sign of his influence, he is said to have stayed in touch with many artists long after he left the label. “Mo Ostin was a true gentleman. He was honest, kind, and beloved. I am so grateful that he was a part of my life; his stories, his humor, his love for his work, he is the greatest person I ever met in the music business,” Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea wrote on Instagram after news of Ostin’s death.