LA Times says,

Mo Ostin, the music executive who helped transform Warner Bros. Records into one of the most admired music labels in the world and who earned respect and lasting allegiance from musicians from Los Angeles to London for his artist-friendly philosophy, died on Sunday. He was 95.

His death was confirmed by multiple sources close to the executive. The cause of death was age-related.

During his 31-year career at Warner Bros., Ostin advocated for changes that would help the then-small record label challenge and ultimately outpace industry leaders during the ’60s and ’70s, an era of adventuresome and varying musical styles. From Frank Sinatra to Jimi Hendrix to Prince, Ostin coaxed a wide variety of musicians to the label, and then gave them the elbow room they needed to be creative.

But in the late 1990s, when downloads replaced actual records and piracy cut into industry margins, Ostin chafed under the growing corporate culture at Warner Bros. and walked away, only to team up a year later with former rival David Geffen at DreamWorks and return as a dominant figure in the recording industry.

“Unlike other executives we talked to, Mo seemed genuinely interested in our music,” Mike Mills, the former bass player with R.E.M., told The Times. “But the best thing about him was that he seemed honest. So we trusted him and it paid off — in spades.”




Also:

[Ostin] told Billboard magazine years after he retired that he trusted Prince so implicitly that he often would not hear the music he was working on until the musician came into his office and played the finished product, often singing along as Ostin listened.

Y'know ... I find it super interesting that Mo Ostin was on his way out at WB about the same time Prince went to war with them. I wasn't aware of that before.

Genesia said:

Y'know ... I find it super interesting that Mo Ostin was on his way out at WB about the same time Prince went to war with them. I wasn't aware of that before.

Yeah, maybe Mo protected him somewhat from the other suits. Warners was very good to Prince I feel and I presume that mostly came from higher uppers like Mr Ostin.

thesexofit said:

Genesia said:

Y'know ... I find it super interesting that Mo Ostin was on his way out at WB about the same time Prince went to war with them. I wasn't aware of that before.

Yeah, maybe Mo protected him somewhat from the other suits. Warners was very good to Prince I feel and I presume that mostly came from higher uppers like Mr Ostin.

My thoughts exactly. In the sense that Ostin was in charge at the time Prince was signed - and was the one who gave him unprecedented freedom (for a new, young artist) and the time to develop his craft and sound - he was as responsible for Prince's ultimate stardom as anyone.