Morris Meyer Ostrofsky popularly known as Mo Ostin reportedly died of natural causes.
Mo Ostin died on Sunday, July 31, 2022, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 95.
The death was confirmed by his granddaughter Annabelle Ostin.
“Mo was one of the greatest record men of all time, and a prime architect of the modern music business,” Warner Records’ co-chairman/CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck and co-chairman/COO Tom Corson said in a statement. “For Mo, it was always first and foremost about helping artists realise their vision.”
Mo Ostin born March 27, 1927 in New York, was an American record executive who worked for several companies, including Verve, Reprise Records, Warner Bros. Records, and DreamWorks.
Ostin was named chairman/CEO of Warner/Reprise in 1972, a role he held until 1994.
In 1995, he joined DreamWorks Records, the music arm of the entertainment company founded by record executive David Geffen, director Steven Spielberg and film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg. Alongside his son, a former Warner A&R executive, and former Warner A&R chief and president Lenny Waronker, Ostin signed artists such as Elliott Smith, Rufus Wainwright and Nelly Furtado.
In 2003, Ostin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Paul Simon, Neil Young and Lorne Michaels.
In 2006, he rejoined Warner Bros as a consultant, and received the Icon award from Grammy body the Recording Academy “in honour of his contribution to the landscape of modern music”.
A graduate of UCLA, Ostin and his wife Evelyn played a critical role in establishing the university’s Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center. The Mo Ostin Basketball Center, a state-of-the-art training facility, was opened in October 2017.
Mo Ostin’s wife, Evelyn Ostin, died in 2005; his sons Kenny in 2004 and Randall in 2005. He is survived by his son Michael, who manages A Tribe Called Quest.