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<\/a><\/p>\nRuss Thyret & Stevie Nicks<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
Over the course of his fabled three-decade-long career with the label, THYRET worked in sales, marketing and promotion.\u00a0 WARNER BROS. was the only record label THYRET ever worked at.\u00a0<\/p>\n
THYRET originally brought PRINCE to the label after hearing about the young phenom from then-manager OWEN HUSNEY and a local MINNEAPOLIS promotion man.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Said longtime WARNER BROS. publicity chief BOB MERLIS, \u201cAlong 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0 A memorial service has yet to be announced.<\/p>\n
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