Wow. Another icon dies:
Walter Yetnikoff, fiery record business titan, dies at 81
Walter Yetnikoff (August 11, 1933 – August 8, 2021) was an American music industry executive who was the president of CBS Records International from 1971 to 1975 and then president and CEO of CBS Records from 1975 to 1990. During his career at CBS, he guided the careers of
Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Earth, Wind & Fire, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Gloria Estefan, and a host of other well-known artists. During his tenure he attracted stars like
James Taylor and ex-Beatle
Paul McCartney away from, respectively, Warner Bros. Records and EMI, and went on to preside over the most profitable and prestigious stable of artists of all time. With Yetnikoff at the helm of CBS Records,
Michael Jackson's
Thriller sold over 40 million copies,
Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. sold over 20 million and
Billy Joel's
The Stranger sold in excess of 13 million. Yetnikoff also helped launched the careers of
Lauper (on Portrait Records, which CBS owned),
Yankovic (on Scotti Brothers Records, which CBS distributed), and
Estefan.
2004 SXSW Interview: Walter Yetnikoff
The Bangles are awarded gold documents from Walter Yetnikoff, kneeling, in 1987. (Lester Cohen / Getty Illustrations or photos) (any pic with
Susanna Hoffs is a good pic! I've got one with her, too!)