[78-L] Mercury co-founder dies

[Donna Halper]

On 1/5/2015 5:54 PM, David Lennick wrote:
> http://www.examiner.com/article/mercury-records-co-founder-irwin-steinberg-dead-at-94
>    
Wow, I worked for Irwin-- he hired me in 1975 and I spent a year at 
Mercury as East Coast director of Artists & Repertoire.  Having 
discovered the rock group Rush (who signed to Mercury) while I was a 
disc jockey and music director in Cleveland, I guess the company figured 
I might be able to do it again.  Sadly, the company was incredibly 
bureaucratic, with way too many decision-makers, all of whom canceled 
each other out. And every band I recommended, other folks at Mercury 
turned me down.  Several of the bands I tried to get signed went on to 
have hits with other labels, most notably Wild Cherry, whose big hit was 
"Play That Funky Music."  Anyway, it was an interesting experience 
working at a record label.  RIP Irving.