Former Billboard chairman William D Littleford has died at his home in Princeton, New Jersey, at the age of 94.
It was Littleford's grandfather William H Donaldson who founded the trade publication in 1894. Born in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Littleford attended the University of Cincinnati before joining Billboard in 1934, following in the footsteps of his brother Roger, who began work at the company in 1933. Both brothers worked as apprentices in the composing room. From 1943 until 1958 he was general manager, and following that became Billboard's president and CEO, and remained in the job until the sale of the magazine in 1985, when he became chairman emeritus, preserving the company's relationship with the family that had run it for more than ninety years.
Littleford is survived by his sister, four children and and three grandchildren. A memorial service is to be held on 28 May in New York.