The name will not be known to many Michael Jackson fans.
Charles Koppelman, a veteran music executive whose career spanned five decades before he became a top executive at Martha Stewart and Steve Madden’s companies, died Friday at the age of 82. The news was posted on social media by his son Brian, co-creator and showrunner of the Showtime series “Billions,” and daughter Jenny Koppelman Hutt. No official cause of death was given, but Brian wrote, “He spent his last days surrounded by those he loved the most.”
He began his career as a singer but quickly became a top-flight publisher, working for Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music, with Clive Davis at CBS Records, and in partnership with longtime Sony Music Publishing chief Martin Bandier, with whom he co-founded SBK Entertainment, which was sold to EMI in 1988 for $300 million.
After leaving his post at the helm of EMI in 1997, he worked with Steve Madden and Martha Stewart before returning to the music business with his own C.A.K. Entertainment, where he oversaw branding deals for Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony with Kohl’s, Nicki Minaj and Adam Levine with K-Mart, and many others.
In 1971 he joined what was then CBS’s music division in a role that spanned both records and its publishing arm, April/Blackwood Music. As national director of A&R for Davis’ Columbia Records, he signed or worked closely with such artists as Billy Joel, Dave Mason, Janis Ian and Journey.
In 1975 he formed the Entertainment Company with Bandier and New York real estate developer (and Bandier’s then-father-in-law), Samuel LeFrak, which over the years acquired catalogs including hits by Fifth Dimension, the Rascals and Brill veteran Neil Sedaka and teamed up such hit duets as Diana Ross and Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love,” and Barbra and Streisand and Donna Summer’s “No More Tears” and hits for Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, the Four Tops, and Cher.
He and Bandier then teamed up with financier Stephen Swid to form SBK Entertainment, which began as a publishing company and acquired CBS Songs — a catalog both executives knew well — for $125 million, which included such classics as “Over the Rainbow” and “New York, New York,” and oversaw licensing for the ATV Music Group, which managed the Beatles’ publishing and was later acquired by Michael Jackson (and merged with Sony Music). After playing a key role in the careers of Tracy Chapman (discovered by Koppelman’s son Brian) and New Kids on the Block, SBK sold the publishing company to to Thorn EMI for $300 million in 1988, launching SBK Records as a joint venture.
In early 2000s, Michael Jackson called Koppelman to deal with financial issues with the Bank of America. Despite Koppelman bringing the situation under control, they separated after the “Nation of Islam” drama in 2004.
Koppelman also said Jackson’s ability to raise money had not been hurt by his current legal problems or his association with the Nation of Islam, as was reported by the newspaper, which cited unidentified Jackson advisers.
Koppelman denied that the Nation of Islam had any involvement in Jackson’s financial affairs, and he asserted that high-ranking Nation of Islam member Leonard Muhammad has not taken on the role of Jackson’s chief adviser. He said Muhammad is a friend of Jackson’s and one of many advisers.
We will always be grateful for Charles helping Michael. All our condolences to his family and friends.
