Donald Dempsey Sr., a recording industry executive who helped launch acts as diverse as Ozzy Osbourne, Dan Fogelberg and Merle Haggard, died Thursday. He was 73.
Dempsey died at home of what was believed to be a stroke, said his son, Don
Dempsey Jr. of New York.
Dempsey Sr., a senior vice president with CBS Records for 25 years, brought
out the best in artists and singers, said Tony Bongiovi, president of
Bongiovi Entertainment in South Florida and cousin of rocker Jon Bon Jovi.
Dempsey Sr. became general manager of Epic, Portrait and CBS Associated
Labels Group and worked with The Clash, Culture Club, Quiet Riot, Luther
Vandross, The Isley Brothers, Ricky Skaggs and George Jones.
He was credited with aggressively marketing Michael Jackson's 1982
"Thriller" album, which sold more than 40 million copies.
Don died back in January, but we found out this news over the weekend. This is significant because that during the time that Don ran Epic Records - my father was Don's Personal Limo Driver. My Father ran into a secretary who worked at Epic Records and broke the news to him. It had been a few years since my Father had seen Don (who was living in Florida) and didn't get the news until just now.
During the years my Dad worked for Don, he became more than employer. He became a friend and a confidant. He never treated him as a "employee" and also had befriended myself as a youngster. I think Don helped instill a lot of the values in my Father that I now hope to carry on.
On a personal level, Don provided me with numerous autographs and concert tickets and I can say that Don gave me my interest in the music industry. Although I had not seen Don in 19 years, I can honestly say I miss him. My Dad met probably every major recording star on the Epic label during his time with Don.
Although I'm not a fan of his music or as a person, Don played a key role in gaining me this Michael Jackson autograph.I am not a Michael Jackson fan. Never have been - never was. And I do think Thriller is a very overrated album. However, I give Don credit for taking an overrated album and using the power of music video to make it the blockbuster album it was.
Today's Song Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg
Back when I knew Don, I can't say I was a fan of one of his proteges - Dan Fogelberg, but now I has have grown into adulthood, I have really garned an appreciation for him. If you listen to Dan's music, you will realize there is more than just "love ballads". "Same Old Lyne Syne" might fall into "love ballads", but this is more than a song. This is a classic Fogelberg song that shows another great example of his piano work. Here we have the classic Fogelberg ballad that has become for all practical purposes - a Christmas song. Fogelberg paints a picture of a "holiday like story" while brilliantly narrating the song with his vocals. Nobody does this better than Fogelberg at creating a "visual" with his songs. Perhaps Don D. saw this - and that is why his legend lives on.
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