Over 16,513,932 people are on fubar.
What are you waiting for?

125089171.jpg LOS ANGELES – Alan W. Livingston, the music executive who created Bozo the Clown and signed the Beatles during his tenure as president of Capitol Records, has died. He was 91. Livingston died Friday of age-related causes in his Beverly Hills home, said his stepdaughter, Jennifer Lerner. Livingston began his multifaceted career in show business as a writer and producer of children's read-along record albums for Capitol Records. He came up with the Bozo the Clown character for the 1946 album "Bozo at the Circus," which became a hit and spawned a cottage industry of merchandise and the television series featuring the wing-haired clown. When he moved into executive positions at Capitol Records in the early 1950s, Livingston signed Frank Sinatra, then at a low point in his career, and introduced him to arranger Nelson Riddle. Together, the pair produced "I've Got the World on a String" and "Young At Heart," which led to Sinatra's comeback. Livingston left the record label in the late 1950s to work in television, where he produced the western series "Bonanza." He returned to Capitol Records as president in the 1960s, when he signed the Beach Boys and Steve Miller and the Band. When Livingston heard the Beatles song "I Want to Hold Your Hand," he agreed to release the single and brought the Fab Four to the United States in 1964 to promote it. Capitol, which was partly owned by the Beatles' record company EMI in the United Kingdom, earlier had rejected the group's initial hit singles as unsuitable for the American market. "He had great taste and judgment, as far as musical talent, and as an executive, he was always very mentoring, very supportive," said Neil Portnow, the president and CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, who worked with Livingston in the 1970s. In addition to Lerner, Livingston is survived by his wife Nancy Olson, one son, one daughter, and another stepdaughter. His late brother Jay Livingston, who died in 2001, was a composer who teamed with songwriter Ray Evans to produce such standards as "Mona Lisa," "Silver Bells" and "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" and the theme music for "Bonanza."
Leave a comment!
html comments NOT enabled!
NOTE: If you post content that is offensive, adult, or NSFW (Not Safe For Work), your account will be deleted.[?]

giphy icon
last post
13 years ago
posts
131
views
32,079
can view
everyone
can comment
everyone
atom/rss

recent posts

13 years ago
Greg Giraldo
13 years ago
George Steinbrenner
13 years ago
Manute Bol
13 years ago
Garry Shider
13 years ago
Jimmy Dean
13 years ago
Rue McClanahan
13 years ago
Dennis Hopper
13 years ago
Gary Coleman
13 years ago
Ronnie James Dio
13 years ago
Frank Frazzetta

other blogs by this author

 13 years ago
random stuff
 14 years ago
Stupid People
official fubar blogs
 8 years ago
fubar news by babyjesus  
 13 years ago
fubar.com ideas! by babyjesus  
 10 years ago
fubar'd Official Wishli... by SCRAPPER  
 10 years ago
Word of Esix by esixfiddy  

discover blogs on fubar

blog.php' rendered in 0.0443 seconds on machine '110'.