Former Capitol Records boss Alan Livingston, perhaps most remembered as the man who gave the Beatles their first US record contract, has died aged 91.
Livingstone began his career as a writer and producer of children's albums for Capitol, and in doing so created Bozo The Clown, a popular kids icon in fifties America. He moved into other domains at the US major, at one point signing Frank Sinatra, then at a career low, and helping to relaunch the crooner, partly by partnering him with arranger Nelson Riddle. After a few years away from music working in TV, producing Western series 'Bonanza' among other things, he returned to Capitol to sign the Beach Boy and Steve Miller And The Band, and to spearhead the launch of the Fab Four in the US, despite the fact other execs at the label had previously turned the British band down, despite them being signed to EMI, a sister label, in the UK.
After departing Capitol for the second time Livingstone set up his own TV and music company, helping launch Don McLean among other things, before selling out and taking on a job at Twentieth Century Fox.
Paying tribute to the former Capitol boss, Neil Portnow, the president and CEO of the National Academy Of Recording Arts & Sciences, told reporters this weekend: "He had great taste and judgment, as far as musical talent, and as an executive, he was always very mentoring, very supportive".