Russ Thyret & Stevie Nicks
RUSS THYRET, who reigned as one of WARNER BROS. RECORDS top executives during the BURBANK-based label’s glory years, including a stint as Chairman/CEO from 1995 to 2001, passed away FRIDAY morning after a long illness at the age of 76.
Over the course of his fabled three-decade-long career with the label, THYRET worked in sales, marketing and promotion. WARNER BROS. was the only record label THYRET ever worked at.
THYRET originally brought PRINCE to the label after hearing about the young phenom from then-manager OWEN HUSNEY and a local MINNEAPOLIS promotion man.
THYRET first joined WARNERS in 1971 as a national sales rep from the L.A. branch of WEA, serving under legendary executives MO OSTIN and LENNY WARONKER, When those two stepped down amid company-wide turmoil, THYRET restored some measure of normalcy at the company when he was named Chairman/CEO in 1995, signing R.E.M. to a new deal as one of his first moves.
THYRET left the company after the completion of the $106 billion merger between TIME WARNER and AOL, a deal that led to several management changes at the combined company.
Said longtime WARNER BROS. publicity chief BOB MERLIS, “Along with MO OSTIN, I cannot think of any executive who commanded such a level of loyalty among his staff than RUSS did. He believed in his people and they, in turn, believed in him.”
ALL ACCESS Pres./Publisher JOEL DENVER recalled, “RUSS was nothing short of an amazing music executive who was blessed with terrific ears, a fiercely loyal promotion team and an uncanny knack for making things happen in the moment. Truly a great friend to so many in the music business and at radio. RUSS, your friendship, amazing personality and business savvy will never be duplicated.”
RUSS is survived by his longtime wife, the former REBECCA ALVAREZ, a secretary at WARNER BROS. who also worked in management with STEVIE NICKS, and son RUSS THYRET, JR. A memorial service has yet to be announced.
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