Grew up in the Bronx, NY, fixated as a child on NYC top 40 radio in the early '60s: the WMCA Good Guys, the WABC All-Americans, and Murray the K's Swingin' Soiree on WINS. Fast-forward to NYU grad school (Cinema Studies); began writing about music and film for various publications, including Creem, Film Comment, Take One, Fusion, Phonograph Record Magazine. Wrote books on Carole King and Simon & Garfunkel for Sire/Chappell Books. While still writing regularly on music (for Creem, mostly, but also frequently for High Fidelity, Let It Rock, Who Put The Bomp, Country Music, Musician etc.), got a job in the publicity department at Arista Records, writing artist bios, press releases, that sort of thing. Which led to a position in the Creative Services department, writing print ads, producing radio spots (won a Clio Award for a Monty Python radio ad). Then made transition into Arista A&R, signed The Church, The Jeff Healey Band, made a pop-rock "comeback" album with Dion (‘Yo, Frankie’). Compiled and/or annotated reissues for Arista (The Monkees, Lee Dorsey, The Kinks, The Everly Brothers, lots of others) and Rhino (The Shirelles, Gene Pitney). Moved over to Columbia Records in 1993 and became Senior VP of A&R. Among Columbia projects: Maxwell, Nellie McKay, The Raveonettes, Savage Garden. Nominated for a Grammy Award as one of the producers of Sony 100 years multi-CD set. Voting member of NARAS and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
