(CelebrityAccess) — Seymour Stein, a music executive who co-founded Sire Records and signed artists such as The Ramones, The Talking Heads, and Madonna, has died. He was 80.
His passing was reported by Variety and several close friends, but a cause of death was not disclosed.
Born in New York City, Stein secured his first role in the industry when he interned for King Records in 1957 and later as a clerk for Billboard Magazine the following year.
In 1966, Stein and record producer Richard Gottehrer partnered to launch Sire Records. The pioneering label would go on to provide a home for some of the biggest acts of the area, including Madonna, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, The Smiths and the Pretenders, and Stein played a central role in shaping the sound that would become new wave music.
When Sire was acquired by Warner in 1977, Stein transitioned to the new label, serving as Vice President and overseeing other labels such as Elektra Records. He remained with Warner until his retirement in 2018.
Stein was married to the late music promoter and real estate executive Linda Stein but the couple parted ways amicably in the late 1970s. In 2017, Stein never remarried and in 2017, he revealed that he was gay.
In 2005, Stein was inducted as a non-performer into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and he was honored with the Richmond Hitmaker Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in in 2016.
According to the New York Times, Stein was survived by his daughter Mandy, but his ex-wife Linda was killed by her assistant in 2007.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Stein is survived by a sister, Ann Wiederkehr, and three grandchildren.
